Kushner: The U.S. Peace Plan for the Middle East Will Resolve Border Issues

Jared Kushner, a White House advisor, outlined the United States' plan for peace in the Middle East, emphasizing that this plan will end the Israel-Palestine conflict and define the borders between the two. Mr. Kushner, who has traveled to Gulf countries, did not specifically mention an independent Palestinian state, which has been part of Washington's peace efforts for two decades. However, he stated that this peace plan has been developed considering many past efforts, including the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, which laid the groundwork for the establishment of a Palestinian state, requiring approval from both parties. According to U.S. officials, Jared Kushner, who is also Donald Trump's son-in-law, is expected to focus on the economic aspects of this plan during his week-long trip to the Middle East. However, he claims that his program includes many political details regarding 'border determination and resolving final status issues.' These remarks, made on the eve of Israeli elections, have become a point of contention in the country's political competition, with far-right politicians opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state claiming that Mr. Kushner's statements do not imply such a meaning. Mr. Kushner himself emphasized that Washington will only present its plan after the April elections in Israel. On the other hand, Palestinians, who stated they would not accept any peace plan from the U.S. following Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, viewed Jared Kushner's remarks with skepticism. Saeb Erekat, head of the Palestinian delegation in the 2014 negotiations, stated that Trump's plan envisions isolated and fragmented territories for Palestinians. The Palestinians' demand is to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.