President Trump’s departing Middle East envoy says he is saddened to be leaving the job before publication of a much-delayed Israeli-Palestinian peace plan but believes that the two sides are closer than ever after years of Iranian aggression in the region.
Jason Greenblatt steps down as special representative for international negotiations at the end of the week.
After 2 1/2 working alongside Jared Kushner in the role, he told the Washington Examiner that an Israeli-Palestinian deal would be Iran’s “worst nightmare.”
“The Iranian regime’s regional aggression has brought the Arab nations and Israel closer together,” the former attorney for the pre-White House Trump and the Trump Organization said in an answer to emailed questions. “I think we’re seeing that this cooperation can ultimately help advance diplomatic progress in other areas, hopefully including peace efforts.”
Political turbulence in Israel has stalled publication of the full plan, and so far only the economic portion, proposing massive investment in the Palestinian territories, has been released.
At the same time, critics suggest Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his apparent closeness to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in power for a decade before finishing second in last month’s general election, had alienated Palestinian leaders.
Greenblatt, 52, said it was part of a new approach that involved speaking “hard truths.”
“The president’s bold, courageous and historic decision to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was absolutely the right decision,” he said. “It was also the fulfillment of a U.S. law from 1995 that every president pushed off until President Trump. Peace can only be built on reality.”
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim the city as their capital. Most members of the United Nations have maintained embassies in Tel Aviv rather than prejudge the outcome of negotiations.
Greenblatt shrugged off another key tenet of the long-standing consensus on any future deal.
“The use of vaguely worded phrases such as ‘two-state solution’ do not help the cause of peace,” he said, explaining that the administration was trying to avoid “ambiguous” terms with different meanings for different audiences.
“When the vision is released, I hope that both parties will read it carefully and not make any hasty decisions,” he added.
Greenblatt said he only ever intended to join the administration for two years and now plans to spend more time with his wife and six children, who live in New Jersey.
“While of course it saddens me that I will not be able to see the process through, the administration will release the plan when we believe it has the best chance to succeed, and I’m confident in our team and their commitment to carrying this vision forward,” he said.
TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW:
1. Why are you leaving now, before the full peace deal is published? To what extent do you regret not seeing the whole process through?
This is very much a family decision for me. My wife and six children have remained in New Jersey during my time in the administration, and my family deserves to have me more fully in their lives. I only intended to join the administration for about two years, and in that time I’ve worked to analyze the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to draft a realistic and implementable vision to help solve the conflict, to reeducate people about the conflict, and on developing relationships between Israel and the region.
There’s never a perfect time to make an announcement like this, but I’m very proud of the work we’ve done and the realistic and implementable vision we’ve drafted. While of course it saddens me that I will not be able to see the process through, the administration will release the plan when we believe it has the best chance to succeed, and I’m confident in our team and their commitment to carrying this vision forward.
2. This has long been seen as an impossible problem to fix. How have you gone about it differently? Have you mapped out a new, innovative theory of change, for example? Have you tried to engage different voices?
We have carefully studied past efforts and have tried to learn from them. Lots of smart and talented people have worked on this issue over many years – and in many cases we’ve spoken with them. We’ve spoken with Israelis, Palestinians, and partners in the region with the recognition that what has been tried in the past has not worked.
Our approach is quite different: we worked very hard to acknowledge the current realities and to focus on speaking hard truths, even when we know those truths will make some people uncomfortable. But we are under no illusions of the challenges we face in what many consider to be one of the hardest problems to solve in modern times.
We believe we have a vision that is realistic and implementable; one that will enable millions of people to live better, safer lives. The detailed plan will provide people with a vision for what peace could actually look like and a path forward to a better future for Israelis, Palestinians, and others in the region. As we’ve noted previously, the plan will propose solutions to all of the core issues. Jared Kushner and a talented team of colleagues have also developed the economic portion of the plan – which we unveiled in Bahrain in June.
This economic plan is a vital supplement to the political portion of the vision. In order to have a sustainable peace we believe people must be afforded better opportunities, a vision for a better way of life for the Palestinians that our economic plan provides for. We’ve asked everyone to continue being patient and to not prejudge the vision and, ultimately, we hope everyone will keep an open mind so that there can be a meaningful dialogue once the vision is released.
3. To what extent has Iran’s aggression in the region provided an opportunity for progress on an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan?
I think it’s finally become very clear to the international community that Iran is by far the greatest threat to the region. The Israeli-Palestinian issue is not the core issue facing the region, even though a handful of people still say that it is. The Iranian regime’s regional aggression has brought the Arab nations and Israel closer together. I think we’re seeing that this cooperation can ultimately help advance diplomatic progress in other areas, hopefully including peace efforts. Iran’s worst nightmare would be a successful Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, and Israeli-Arab peace.
4. Palestinian leaders don’t see Americans as honest brokers in settling this dispute. How have you gone about addressing that problem? Or is it a mistaken assumption?
I think the entire notion of an “honest broker” is a mistaken assumption. We firmly believe that the only way to truly end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is through a political vision that both sides will negotiate directly and agree to together. The United States is not a judge, nor a jury, and we are not going to force anything on either party. No individual country, combination of countries, or international organization can force a deal. I believe that our political vision is one to which both sides can engage on, negotiate, and eventually agree upon.
5. Why would Palestinian leaders be open to a peace plan that had already decided the status of Jerusalem? Wasn’t it a mistake to take this off the table ahead of publishing the plan?
The President’s bold, courageous and historic decision to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, was absolutely the right decision. It was also the fulfillment of a U.S. law from 1995 that every president pushed off until President Trump. Peace can only be built on reality.
6. How important do you believe a two-state solution is to achieving peace in the region?
This administration has made a concerted effort to avoid ambiguous terms, such as “two-state solution” as they mean different things to different people. The use of vaguely worded phrases such as “two-state solution” do not help the cause of peace. We believe the vision we have drafted can advance the cause of peace and bring people together start a productive, realistic discussion.
It’s important to remember that nobody can force this vision upon anyone. When the vision is released, I hope that both parties will read it carefully and not make any hasty decisions.
7. What lessons do you take away from this experience and what do you plan to do next?
I have had a remarkable almost 23 years working for President Trump, so, this is the first time in nearly a quarter of a century I am looking for a job. I don’t know what the future holds in store for me but I am excited to see.
I’ve been fortunate to have had countless candid conversations with Israelis, Palestinians, and regional leaders. After the announcement that I would be stepping down, I received numerous touching messages from Palestinians who I met multiple times over the last two and a half years. They thanked me for all we have done to try to improve their lives and our attempts to bring peace.
They may disagree with some (or, in some cases, all) of our policies, but they have expressed deep gratitude to us for trying. This is what allows me to believe that there’s hope that our vision will succeed.
8. In an interview with the Commentator of Yeshiva University, you said you ask yourself three questions every Shabbat: 1) Did I give everything to my employer to do the job that is expected of me? 2) Was I a good father and husband so that I gave my family everything that I’m obligated and want to give them for them to achieve, succeed, and be happy? 3) Did I help my community? How will you answer those questions this Shabbat?
Wow, great question! I will be able to answer question 1 with a resounding yes, especially because I was lucky to be working with Jared Kushner, David Friedman, Avi Berkowitz, Brian Hook and so many other colleagues throughout the US government – from Secretary Pompeo and all my colleagues at the State Department and our embassies throughout the Middle East, the National Security Council and so many others.
However, I will not be able to answer yes for questions 2 and 3 until at least a week from this Shabbat. Frankly, that is one of the reasons it is time for me to leave. I was unable to answer questions 2 and 3 properly for nearly 3 years now. But I was incredibly fortunate to have an amazingly supportive family who believed in the mission and never complained. But now it is time to work on answering all 3 questions with a yes each and every week.
