Jared Kushner is returning to the Middle East later this month to refresh efforts for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, a senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration said Sunday.
“Kushner will travel to the region at the end of July for discussions to continue the momentum of the successful Bahrain workshop on the economic plan,” the official said, as quoted by AFP.
The official did not give details on an itinerary for Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, but the trip is expected to include U.S. special peace envoy Jason Greenblatt, Kushner’s senior aid Avi Berkowitz, and Brian Hook, the administration’s lead on Iran.
It comes a month after Kushner convened an economic workshop in Bahrain that aired prospect of $50 billion in investment under a peace deal.
But the Palestinian Authority dismissed the “Peace to Prosperity” workshop, accusing the pro-Israel Trump of using the prospect of cash to try to impose political solutions.
Newly appointed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the only thing that mattered was statehood – not money.
“Where are we going to have the Palestinian state?” he asked. “We are not looking for an entity. We are looking for a sovereign state.”
Trump took the landmark step last year of fulfilling a campaign promise and recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The White House is waiting until after a government is formed in Israel following upcoming elections before it releases the political part of the peace plan, and has not revealed any of its details.