The failed 'architects' of the new Middle East peace plan

US President Donald Trump with his trio of Middle East Peace advisers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: AP

Bare-handed "catch" peace

History will name the trio: Jared Kushner, David Friedman and Jason Greenblatt as the most unlikely peacemakers of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Simply because they were entrusted with the task of resolving the decades-long dispute without any political or diplomatic experience.

So what do these three individuals have in common when they share the same goal of creating a brighter future for the Middle East?

They are both Orthodox Jews. Second, they are both involved in some way with Israel, and specifically with the illegal Jewish settlements that still exist in the occupied West Bank. Both Friedman and Kushner, through a family charity, have donated for years to the Bet Il settlement, located in the Hamas enclave of Ramallah. Greenblatt attended a Jewish seminary in a settlement near Jerusalem in the 1980s.

All three men have been hailed by US President Donald Trump as the best candidates to design America’s blueprint for Middle East peace – a task that is not only daunting in its scale, but also requires deep political knowledge and skills.

But ultimately, the world will be looking to these three men for their work, regardless of whether they are suited to mediating one of the world's biggest flashpoints.

In fact, although not yet fully disclosed, the trio’s plan is completely different from the Middle East policy of previous US administrations. For decades, Washington has always supported a two-state solution of Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. This is considered the foundation for resolving the disputes of this conflict.

Jared Kushner - the US President's son-in-law and senior White House advisor is one of three people who built the new Middle East Peace Plan. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, the “Kushner et al” team chose to tackle this task with the opposite approach: focusing on the economic aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And to this day, in the third year of President Trump’s term, the other side of the Middle East peace is either not mentioned by anyone, or is at some unspecified future date.

The economic solution was presented at a two-day “conference” held on June 25-26 in Manama, Bahrain. The Palestinian Authority boycotted the event and limited its relations with the US because it considered the conference “biased and pro-Israel”. Meanwhile, no official presence of Israeli officials was seen.

Dubbed “Peace to Prosperity,” the White House wants to invite global investors to raise $50 billion for infrastructure in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. At the core of the plan is the US administration’s desire to link peace and economic development to Arab recognition of Israel and the Palestinians’ “autonomy” status as a substitute for the “sovereignty” they have been demanding. Palestinians call it a plan to pay for Palestinian rights, despite the core political problem – the Jewish state’s occupation that has devastated the daily lives of Palestinians for decades.

Pro-Trump and pro-Israel

The most talked about member of the "trio" is senior White House adviser Jared Kushner - Trump's son-in-law, who is also in charge of relations with China, Mexico and Canada.

Jared Kushner is a former real estate developer and CEO of his family's company. Jared attended Harvard University, where his father donated $2.5 million. Rumors have since swirled, with many questioning whether Jared got the honor through his own talent or family connections.

Jared Kushner's position in the White House has also faced criticism not only for nepotism but also for perceived conflicts of interest - when he could profit from business opportunities.

The Kushner family itself has openly considered Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu a family friend. Netanyahu recently visited Kushner’s home during a visit to the United States. He even said that if he were to sleep at Kushner’s, he would choose Jared’s room. Despite his role as a Middle East peacemaker, Jared Kushner does not believe in the Palestinians’ ability to run a state. In an interview with Axios, Jared said: “Hopefully, one day they can run a government.”

Jason Greenblatt visits the Nahal Oz settlement outside the Gaza Strip. Photo: Reuters

Jason Greenblatt, a business lawyer, has worked with the president even longer. He has served as executive vice president and general counsel to the Trump Organization for nearly two decades. In 2016, President Trump described Greenblatt as “a true lover of Israel.” Greenblatt’s access to information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict comes from daily email briefings, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a major American Jewish lobbying group, and a weekly Hebrew-language radio show.

“I have said that I have a high level of contact with the Israeli government and listen to their thoughts,” Greenblatt said. He has also made no secret of the fact that he has had no contact with the Palestinians since he was a student at the Jewish Seminary in Yeshivat Har Etzion 30 years ago. He has also expressed his aversion to the two-state solution.

At a UN Security Council meeting last month, Greenblatt called the agency’s “obsession” with the issue of Jewish settlements a farce. He even blamed the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA) for perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem. That was the basis for the US cutting $300 million in funding for UNRWA. Finally, Greenblatt likened the Middle East peace process to a business transaction.