President Trump’s outgoing Middle East envoy admitted the White House peace plan might not be “immediately embraced” by Israelis or Palestinians and offered no timetable for its eventual release.
Jason Greenblatt will stand aside at the end of the week after two and a half years working on an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.
“The administration will release the plan when the time is right and when they think it has the best chance of success,” he said in an email interview with the Times of Israel.
“I hope that the vision we have drafted can advance the cause of peace and bring people together [and] start a productive, realistic discussion — even if it’s not embraced immediately.”
Instead, he said he hoped neither side would reject it in haste.
So far, the White House has released economic details of its plan — which aims to raise billions of dollars in investment, doubling the amount of drinkable water in the Palestinian territories and tripling exports — but has delayed the political component.
Election deadlock in Israeli has further complicated the political landscape.
Greenblatt’s departure ahead of the full plan’s publication has sparked speculation that even its authors see little chance of success. But the father of six insisted he only ever planned to spend two years in the administration and wanted to spend more time with his family.
“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, and I’m confident in our team and their commitment to carrying it forward,” he said.
Greenblatt, a former Trump Organization lawyer, will be handing the project on to Avi Berkowitz, 30, a long-time assistant to Kushner. Regional experts have questioned whether Berkowitz has sufficient experience or expertise to handle such a sensitive role.
Greenblatt declined to answer questions on his successor.
