Why does Israel want Trump’s son-in-law to be Middle East peace envoy?
With president-elect seen as closer to Tel Aviv than predecessor Obama, move could make room for more aggressive expansion of Israeli settlements in West Bank
Israel’s top diplomat has welcomed suggestions that US President-elect Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner could be appointed as a special envoy to broker peace in the Middle East, but warned against hopes for a quick fix to the country’s decades-long conflict with the Palestinian people.
Deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely told This Week in Asia strong ties between Washington and Tel Aviv were unlikely to change under a Trump presidency, and “we even believe the relationship will be closer”.
“We would be so happy if someone could bring peace to the Middle East. We welcome him,” Hotovely said when asked about the prospects of Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, being made a special representative for peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.
Trump told The New York Times this month that Kushner would be “very good” at dealing with both sides.
“I mean he knows it so well. He knows the region, knows the people, knows the players,” Trump said of Kushner, who is of Jewish descent.