Tag: Jerusalem

Kushner bets he can have it both ways on Jerusalem move

The following article by Annie Karni was posted on the Politico website December 6, 2017:

The presidential son-in-law, whose influence has waned since John Kelly arrived, believes recognizing the Israeli capital won’t threaten his peace deal.

President Donald Trump and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem on May 22. Credit: Kobi Gideon/GPO via Getty Images

Jared Kushner is betting the house on a risky strategy that Middle East experts worry will derail any future Israeli-Palestinian peace deal — as well as what remains of the powerful son-in-law’s shrinking West Wing portfolio.

He privately encouraged President Donald Trump’s announcement Wednesday that “Jerusalem is Israel’s capital,” which was seen by some experts in the region as a setback for peace efforts led by Kushner and his small team. The group has made dozens of trips to the region and spent hours on listening tours, working to gain the trust of the Palestinians and the broader Arab world.

“It is very, very hard to imagine how that peace effort can be continued,” said Ghaith al-Omari, who served as an adviser to the Palestinian Authority’s negotiating team from 1999 to 2002. “All the Arab leaders who have been cultivating relations with the new administration will be forced to come out very strongly against this.” Continue reading “Kushner bets he can have it both ways on Jerusalem move”

How Trump Will Blow Up Kushner’s Peace Deal

The following article by Trudy Rubin of the Philadelphia Inquirer was posted on the National Memo website December 6, 2017:

Credit: SUSAN WALSH/AP

What on earth is Trump thinking?

That’s a question one asks all too often about the president. But the contradiction between President Donald Trump’s expected announcement that he will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — at the very same time his son-in-law is trying to concoct the “ultimate” deal between Israelis and Palestinians — is downright schizoid.

On the one hand, First Son-in-law Jared Kushner, paired with Trump’s real estate lawyer Jason Greenblatt, have been traversing the Mideast for the last several months trying to come up with a peace plan whose details still remain a secret. But the plan will reportedly emerge early in the new year. Continue reading “How Trump Will Blow Up Kushner’s Peace Deal”

The Memo: Trump rolls the dice on Jerusalem

The following article by Niall Stanage was posted on the Hill website December 6, 2017:

President Trump will roll the dice in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians on Wednesday, breaking with historical precedent by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Although the move has long been sought by the most fervent backers of Israel, a storm of protest is already brewing in the Arab world.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has said such an action will “have serious implications for security and stability in the Middle East.” Continue reading “The Memo: Trump rolls the dice on Jerusalem”

Minnesota legislators meet with Israeli counterparts at Knesset

The following article by GIl Hoffman was posted on the Jerusalem Post website November 29, 2017:

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) organized the delegation of Minnesota State Legislators and other Minnesota leaders to Israel for the second year in a row.

A group of six Minnesota state legislators discussed their progress on fighting BDS in their state at the Knesset Wednesday with Communications Minister Ayoub Kara, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Michael Oren, and MKs in the Knesset’s Christian Allies Caucus Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beytenu), Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union) and Yehuda Glick (Likud),

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) organized the bipartisan and bicameral delegation of Minnesota State Legislators and other Minnesota leaders to Israel for the second year in a row. Continue reading “Minnesota legislators meet with Israeli counterparts at Knesset”