WASHINGTON – The National Security Council is now pursuing volunteers for a Middle East policy team to help the White House roll out its long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
As stated by an NCS official, Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, and Jason Greenblatt, the president's special envoy for international negotiations, "are expanding their team and the resources available as they finalize the details and rollout strategy of the peace initiative."
The team will focus on the peace plan's public presentation and negotiations that follow.
The NSC official explained that the team's three units will concentrate on "political and security details – one on its significant economic focus and one on strategic communications."
Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said last month that any peace plan is "dead upon arrival" after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the United States Embassy there.
Mansour says "peace requires two states on the 1967 borders" and that East Jerusalem is acknowledged as their capital.
But Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon said, "Israel will not tolerate any violation of our sovereignty – not from Syria, not from Gaza, not from any other enemy that threatens our security."
Not only will the United States need Israel and the Palestinian Authority on board to move forward with a peace plan, but they'll also need support from Gulf Arab states.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz said his country will not endorse any plan that fails to address East Jerusalem or refugees' right of return.
In June, Kushner visited Saudi Arabia and Israel, but PA President Mahmoud Abbas refused to meet with him or any US official.
Meanwhile, the peace plan is being finalized as Middle East leaders wait for the White House to release the concrete details.