The Trump administration has found it increasingly difficult to negotiate a peace accord in the Middle East due to a “disconnect” that has caused Palestinian leaders to view the U.S. as hostile to the cause of peace.

A senior White House official briefed reporters traveling with Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday about the status of negotiations between the U.S., Israel, and Palestine. Neither President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner nor his Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt have met or spoken with Palestinian leaders since Dec. 6, the day before the president officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, according to the official.