US President’s son-in-law and a senior advisor Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kahol Lavan Chairman Benny Gantz at the Prime Minister’s office and the US embassy in Jeruselum on Monday.
It was the first time that Gantz and Kushner have met as part of his trip to the region where he is scheduled to discuss his plan for brokering peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Kushner is accompanied by his close aide Avi Berkowitz and by Brian Hook, a State Department official who is mainly responsible for America’s Iran policy.
The meeting comes after Gantz was tasked with forming a governing coalition on Wednesday. Gantz was given the mandate by President Reuven Rivlin after Netanyahu announced that he failed to establish a coalition in the wake of September’s election.
In a recent interview given to an Israeli media outlet, US Ambassador to the country David Friedman said that the peace plan would be released shortly after a government was formed.
Netanyahu and Trump are close allies. Netanyahu made a campaign promise to his electorate that he would annex large parts of the West Bank and said he would do so in coordination with the Trump administration.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has boycotted the White House since Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The plan, which remains a mystery, is believed to deal with political and economic aspects of the conflict.
In June this year, Kushner revealed his economic vision titled “Peace to Prosperity”, it calls for multi-billion-dollar investment in infrastructure and business projects in the Palestinian territories.
(With inputs from agencies)