White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Sunday that the Trump administration’s plan to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians will be published soon.
In an interview with Al-Quds, an Arabic language newspaper, Kushner also expressed frustration with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and said the plan would go forward regardless of his participation.
“The global community is getting frustrated with Palestinian leadership and not seeing many actions that are constructive toward achieving peace,” he said, according to an Associated Press report of the interview.
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“If President Abbas is willing to come back to the table, we are ready to engage,” Kushner added. “If he is not, we will likely air the plan publicly.”
Abbas has severed communications with the Trump administration since December, when the U.S. formally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and announced plans to move its embassy there.
Kushner added that the Middle East peace plan is almost completed, but did not elaborate on its details, the AP reported.
Kushner and Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt spent most of last week meeting with different Middle Eastern leaders to go over peace talks and other regional issues. The two met with leaders from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt.
Axios reported earlier this month that the United Kingdom is planning a gathering early next month with Kushner, along with foreign secretaries from top Arab and European nations, to talk about the White House’s plan for peace negotiations.
The United States in May officially moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. While the Trump administration hailed the decision as long overdue, European and Middle Eastern leaders have warned that the relocation could undermine peace talks.
The city is a major sticking point in peace negotiations, as both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capital.