Jared Kushner said Wednesday that the door remained open to the Palestinians to engage in his peace initiative as he accused their leaders of not caring about their own people for rejecting his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-pushes-middle-east-economic-plan-in-face-of-palestinian-protest-230608">$50 billion economic framework</a>.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with an intimate two-day conference in Bahrain, where economic leaders touted his plan as holding the potential to jumpstart the Palestinians' stagnant economy.

The Palestinian Authority boycotted the "Peace to Prosperity" workshop, accusing the unabashedly pro-Israel Trump of dangling the prospect of cash to try to impose political solutions and ignoring a fundamental issue of Israeli occupation.

Closing the conference at a luxury hotel in the capital Manama, the 38-year-old real estate investor promised to put out the political plan at "the right time" and said the Palestinian Authority could help its people by embracing the US recommendations.

"If they actually want to make their people's lives better, we have now laid out a great framework in which they can engage and try to achieve it," Kushner told reporters.

"We're going to stay optimistic," he said. "We have left the door open the whole time."

He said the Trump administration was trying a fresh approach to the long intractable Middle East conflict and that the authors of the economic framework had not seen the political plan.

"What the leadership has done is that they've blamed Israel and everyone else for all the people's problems, when in fact the common theme coming up is that this is all achievable if the government wants to make these reforms," Kushner said.

- 'Insult to our intelligence' -

In the occupied West Bank, senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi told a press conference the US proposal was an "insult to our intelligence" and "totally divorced from reality".

"The economic peace, which has been presented before repeatedly and which has failed to materialise because it does not deal with the real components of peace, is being presented once again, recycled once again," she said.

"The elephant in the room in Manama is of course the occupation itself," she added. "The Israeli occupation, which was never mentioned -- not once."

Trump has taken a series of landmark steps to benefit Israel including recognising bitterly divided Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital in 2017, leading the Palestinian Authority to cut off formal contact.

The Trump administration has hinted its political plan will not mention a Palestinian state -- a goal of US policy for decades -- and that it could accept the annexation of parts of the West Bank mulled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a family friend of Kushner.

- 'Urgency' for Palestinian economy -

The "Peace to Prosperity" sets an ambitious goal of creating one million new Palestinian jobs through $50 billion of investment in infrastructure, tourism and education in the territories and Arab neighbours.

Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, praised the plan for focusing on jobs and said "all the goodwill in the world" was needed to prevent a severe deterioration of the Palestinian economy.

"So if there is an economic plan, if there is urgency, it's a question of making sure that the momentum is sustained," Lagarde said.

Tax revenue is being held up in a dispute with Israel, which has blockaded the Gaza Strip for more than a decade because of the Islamist movement Hamas' leadership of the crowded and impoverished territory.

Mohammed al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia's finance minister, said the Palestinian issue was "very important" for the oil-rich kingdom, which would support "whatever brings prosperity to this region".

"The region is in desperate need of prosperity and hope," he said.

Obaid bin Humaid al-Tayer, minister of state for financial affairs of the United Arab Emirates, said that international institutions should back the plan to decrease risks.

"We should give this initiative a chance, we should be discussing it, and we should try to promote it," he said.

Israel has voiced support for the conference and, in precedented scenes, Israeli academics and journalists openly travelled to Bahrain despite the lack of diplomatic relations.

Coinciding with the Bahrain conference, Oman said it would open an embassy in the Palestinian territories -- a first for a Gulf Arab state.

The sultanate said it wished to show "support for the Palestinian people".

But Netanyahu paid a rare visit to Oman in October, raising speculation the embassy could be a way to soften the blow before recognition of Israel.

Gulf Arab nations have increasingly found common cause with Israel due to their shared hostility towards Iran, although Oman has sought a moderate approach and often serves as a go-between for Washington and Tehran.

Jared Kushner said Wednesday that the door remained open to the Palestinians to engage in his peace initiative as he accused their leaders of not caring about their own people for rejecting his $50 billion economic framework.

Jared Kushner said Wednesday that the door remained open to the Palestinians to engage in his peace initiative as he accused their leaders of not caring about their own people for rejecting his $50 billion economic framework. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law launched a long-awaited Middle East initiative with an intimate two-day conference in Bahrain, where economic leaders touted his plan as holding the potential to jumpstart the Palestinians' stagnant economy. The Palestinian Authority boycotted the "Peace to Prosperity" workshop, accusing the unabashedly pro-Israel Trump of dangling the prospect of cash to try to impose political solutions and ignoring a fundamental issue of Israeli occupation. Closing the conference at a luxury hotel in the capital Manama, the 38-year-old real estate investor promised to put out the political plan at "the right time" and said the Palestinian Authority could help its people by embracing the US recommendations. "If they actually want to make their people's lives better, we have now laid out a great framework in which they can engage and try to achieve it," Kushner told reporters. "We're going to stay optimistic," he said. "We have left the door open the whole time." He said the Trump administration was trying a fresh approach to the long intractable Middle East conflict and that the authors of the economic framework had not seen the political plan. "What the leadership has done is that they've blamed Israel and everyone else for all the people's problems, when in fact the common theme coming up is that this is all achievable if the government wants to make these reforms," Kushner said. - 'Insult to our intelligence' - In the occupied West Bank, senior Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi told a press conference the US proposal was an "insult to our intelligence" and "totally divorced from reality". "The economic peace, which has been presented before repeatedly and which has failed to materialise because it does not deal with the real components of peace, is being presented once again, recycled once again," she said. "The elephant in the room in Manama is of course the occupation itself," she added. "The Israeli occupation, which was never mentioned -- not once." Trump has taken a series of landmark steps to benefit Israel including recognising bitterly divided Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital in 2017, leading the Palestinian Authority to cut off formal contact. The Trump administration has hinted its political plan will not mention a Palestinian state -- a goal of US policy for decades -- and that it could accept the annexation of parts of the West Bank mulled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a family friend of Kushner. - 'Urgency' for Palestinian economy - The "Peace to Prosperity" sets an ambitious goal of creating one million new Palestinian jobs through $50 billion of investment in infrastructure, tourism and education in the territories and Arab neighbours. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, praised the plan for focusing on jobs and said "all the goodwill in the world" was needed to prevent a severe deterioration of the Palestinian economy. "So if there is an economic plan, if there is urgency, it's a question of making sure that the momentum is sustained," Lagarde said. Tax revenue is being held up in a dispute with Israel, which has blockaded the Gaza Strip for more than a decade because of the Islamist movement Hamas' leadership of the crowded and impoverished territory. Mohammed al-Jadaan, Saudi Arabia's finance minister, said the Palestinian issue was "very important" for the oil-rich kingdom, which would support "whatever brings prosperity to this region". "The region is in desperate need of prosperity and hope," he said. Obaid bin Humaid al-Tayer, minister of state for financial affairs of the United Arab Emirates, said that international institutions should back the plan to decrease risks. "We should give this initiative a chance, we should be discussing it, and we should try to promote it," he said. Israel has voiced support for the conference and, in precedented scenes, Israeli academics and journalists openly travelled to Bahrain despite the lack of diplomatic relations. Coinciding with the Bahrain conference, Oman said it would open an embassy in the Palestinian territories -- a first for a Gulf Arab state. The sultanate said it wished to show "support for the Palestinian people". But Netanyahu paid a rare visit to Oman in October, raising speculation the embassy could be a way to soften the blow before recognition of Israel. Gulf Arab nations have increasingly found common cause with Israel due to their shared hostility towards Iran, although Oman has sought a moderate approach and often serves as a go-between for Washington and Tehran.

Kushner holds open door to wary Palestinians in Bahrain peace push

Trump's son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner opens two-day Israel-Palestine Peace conference in Bahrain. Watch full video to know more.

Jared Kushner flags off the Israel-Palestine Peace conference in Bahrain

The Trump administration sought on Wednesday to win support for an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-economy-first-approach-to-mideast-peace-built-on-big-money-projects-229587">economic plan</a> it says will be a foundation for Israeli-Palestinian peace but which Palestinians and many other Arabs dismiss as pointless without a political solution to the decades-old conflict.

US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/economic-plan-necessary-pre-condition-for-middle-east-peace-kushner-230435">Jared Kushner</a> opened an international meeting in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-bahrain-united-states-to-launch-economic-part-of-mideast-peace-plan-amid-skepticism-230273">Bahrain</a> on Tuesday evening by urging Palestinians, whose leadership is boycotting the event, to think outside the "traditional box" for an economic pathway that he said was a precondition for peace.

International Monetary Fund managing director, Christine Lagarde, told the first panel session that the Fund's experience in conflict-riven countries around the world showed it can be a struggle to generate economic growth in such an environment.

Watch: Jared Kushner flags off the Israel-Palestine Peace conference in Bahrain

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Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments are attending the event. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally, said Israel was open to the proposal.

In Gaza on Tuesday, the Islamist group Hamas and its rival Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas convened a gathering of leaders and activists in a rare show of unity to voice their rejection of the Manama conference.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh criticised Arab states participating in the workshop, which 300 delegates are attending including Israeli and Palestinian businessmen.

The conference aimed to finish off the Palestinian cause under the cover of economic and financial benefits, he said.

"The (Palestinian) people, who have been fighting for one hundred years, did not commission anyone to concede or to bargain. Jerusalem is ours, the land is ours, and everything is ours," Haniyeh said.

Although US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates discreetly support the plan, several Arab states, such as Lebanon, have stayed away while others including Jordan and Egypt, the two Arab nations that have reached peace with Israel, have sent deputy ministers.

The presence of Sunni Muslim Gulf states in Manama showed they want to encourage closer ties to Israelis - with whom they share a common foe in Shi'ite Iran - that have largely been under the table, said David Makovsky, a US-based Middle East expert attending the event.

"(But) it's clear they won't bypass the Palestinians and do anything they don't want," he told Reuters.

Hard sell

Washington hopes wealthy Gulf oil producers will bankroll the plan, which expects donor nations and investors to contribute $50 billion to Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies.

Saudi minister of state Mohammed Al-Sheikh told the panel that Kushner's plan was bolstered by inclusion of the private sector as a similar proposal, relying heavily on state funding, had been attempted during the Oslo interim peace deals of the 1990s that eventually collapsed.

"While I accept that peace is essential, back then it was the hope of peace that got them actually excited and moving," Al-Sheikh said.

But the "economy first" approach toward reviving the moribund peace process could be a hard sell as the political details of the plan, almost two years in the making, remain secret.

On Tuesday Riyadh reiterated that any peace deal should be based on a Saudi-led Arab peace initiative that calls for a Palestinian state drawn along borders which predate Israel's capture of territory in the 1967 Middle East war, as well as a capital in East Jerusalem and refugees' right of return - points rejected by Israel.

Kushner said on Monday the plan would not adhere to the Arab initiative.

It is not clear whether the Trump team plans to abandon the "two-state solution", which involves creation of an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel.

The United Nations and most countries back the two-state solution, which has underpinned every peace plan for decades, but Trump's team has consistently refused to commit to it.

Any solution must settle long-standing issues such as the status of Jerusalem, mutually agreed borders, Israel's security concerns, Palestinian demands for statehood, and the fate of Israel's settlements and military presence in territory where Palestinians want to build that state.

Palestinian leaders are refusing to engage with the White House, accusing it of pro-Israel bias. Breaking with the international consensus, Trump in 2017 recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, infuriating the Palestinians and other Arabs.

Across the great divide

The IMF says unemployment stands at 30 per cent in the West Bank and 50 per cent in Gaza, the economy of which has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas' rival in the Israeli-occupied West bank.

Among the 179 proposed infrastructure and business projects is a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. Some of them have been floated before and stalled for lack of underlying political or security agreements.

"The economic vision has to be linked to resolving the entire conflict, and this doesn't bring the Israelis and Palestinians any closer together. So I'm not optimistic this plan can materialize anytime soon," Makovsky said.

Even at a break between sessions in Bahrain, differences between the two sides of the Israeli-Arab divide could be seen.

Israeli businessman Shlomi Fogel was in conversation with a UAE businesswoman. Asked for their views on Kushner’s approach of tackling economic issues first, Fogel said,&nbsp;"If we wait for the politicians, it will take forever. We could do parts of this economic plan with the right support."

The Dubai-based businesswoman suggested, however, that the plan was too ambitious to be put into effect anytime soon.

"There were efforts like Oslo that didn’t work out - and that was because of the Israelis," she said. "You can’t assume the economics will work if the politics don't move."

The Trump administration sought on Wednesday to win support for an economic plan it says will be a foundation for Israeli-Palestinian peace but which Palestinians and many other Arabs dismiss as pointless without a political solution to the decades-old conflict.

The Trump administration sought on Wednesday to win support for an economic plan it says will be a foundation for Israeli-Palestinian peace but which Palestinians and many other Arabs dismiss as pointless without a political solution to the decades-old conflict. US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner opened an international meeting in Bahrain on Tuesday evening by urging Palestinians, whose leadership is boycotting the event, to think outside the "traditional box" for an economic pathway that he said was a precondition for peace. International Monetary Fund managing director, Christine Lagarde, told the first panel session that the Fund's experience in conflict-riven countries around the world showed it can be a struggle to generate economic growth in such an environment. Watch: Jared Kushner flags off the Israel-Palestine Peace conference in Bahrain × Neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments are attending the event. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally, said Israel was open to the proposal. In Gaza on Tuesday, the Islamist group Hamas and its rival Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas convened a gathering of leaders and activists in a rare show of unity to voice their rejection of the Manama conference. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh criticised Arab states participating in the workshop, which 300 delegates are attending including Israeli and Palestinian businessmen. The conference aimed to finish off the Palestinian cause under the cover of economic and financial benefits, he said. "The (Palestinian) people, who have been fighting for one hundred years, did not commission anyone to concede or to bargain. Jerusalem is ours, the land is ours, and everything is ours," Haniyeh said. Although US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates discreetly support the plan, several Arab states, such as Lebanon, have stayed away while others including Jordan and Egypt, the two Arab nations that have reached peace with Israel, have sent deputy ministers. The presence of Sunni Muslim Gulf states in Manama showed they want to encourage closer ties to Israelis - with whom they share a common foe in Shi'ite Iran - that have largely been under the table, said David Makovsky, a US-based Middle East expert attending the event. "(But) it's clear they won't bypass the Palestinians and do anything they don't want," he told Reuters. Hard sell Washington hopes wealthy Gulf oil producers will bankroll the plan, which expects donor nations and investors to contribute $50 billion to Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies. Saudi minister of state Mohammed Al-Sheikh told the panel that Kushner's plan was bolstered by inclusion of the private sector as a similar proposal, relying heavily on state funding, had been attempted during the Oslo interim peace deals of the 1990s that eventually collapsed. "While I accept that peace is essential, back then it was the hope of peace that got them actually excited and moving," Al-Sheikh said. But the "economy first" approach toward reviving the moribund peace process could be a hard sell as the political details of the plan, almost two years in the making, remain secret. On Tuesday Riyadh reiterated that any peace deal should be based on a Saudi-led Arab peace initiative that calls for a Palestinian state drawn along borders which predate Israel's capture of territory in the 1967 Middle East war, as well as a capital in East Jerusalem and refugees' right of return - points rejected by Israel. Kushner said on Monday the plan would not adhere to the Arab initiative. It is not clear whether the Trump team plans to abandon the "two-state solution", which involves creation of an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel. The United Nations and most countries back the two-state solution, which has underpinned every peace plan for decades, but Trump's team has consistently refused to commit to it. Any solution must settle long-standing issues such as the status of Jerusalem, mutually agreed borders, Israel's security concerns, Palestinian demands for statehood, and the fate of Israel's settlements and military presence in territory where Palestinians want to build that state. Palestinian leaders are refusing to engage with the White House, accusing it of pro-Israel bias. Breaking with the international consensus, Trump in 2017 recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, infuriating the Palestinians and other Arabs. Across the great divide The IMF says unemployment stands at 30 per cent in the West Bank and 50 per cent in Gaza, the economy of which has suffered years of Israeli and Egyptian blockades as well as recent foreign aid cuts and sanctions by the Palestinian Authority, Hamas' rival in the Israeli-occupied West bank. Among the 179 proposed infrastructure and business projects is a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza, according to documents reviewed by Reuters. Some of them have been floated before and stalled for lack of underlying political or security agreements. "The economic vision has to be linked to resolving the entire conflict, and this doesn't bring the Israelis and Palestinians any closer together. So I'm not optimistic this plan can materialize anytime soon," Makovsky said. Even at a break between sessions in Bahrain, differences between the two sides of the Israeli-Arab divide could be seen. Israeli businessman Shlomi Fogel was in conversation with a UAE businesswoman. Asked for their views on Kushner’s approach of tackling economic issues first, Fogel said, "If we wait for the politicians, it will take forever. We could do parts of this economic plan with the right support." The Dubai-based businesswoman suggested, however, that the plan was too ambitious to be put into effect anytime soon. "There were efforts like Oslo that didn’t work out - and that was because of the Israelis," she said. "You can’t assume the economics will work if the politics don't move."

US pushes Middle East economic plan in face of Palestinian protest

The first stage of President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-economy-first-approach-to-mideast-peace-built-on-big-money-projects-229587">Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan</a> will be launched on Tuesday at a conference the White House touts as a bid to begin drumming up $50 billion in investment but which Palestinians deride as an "economy first" approach doomed to fail.

The two-day international meeting in Bahrain, led by Trump’s son-in-law, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jared-kushner-visits-middle-east-to-press-us-peace-plan-222381">Jared Kushner</a>, has been billed as the first part of Washington's long-delayed broader political blueprint to revive the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which will be unveiled at a later date.

But neither the Israeli nor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/even-if-netanyahu-goes-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict-will-continue-204653">Palestinian governments</a> will attend the curtain-raising event in the Bahraini capital, Manama.

There will be close scrutiny as to whether attendees such as Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf Arab states show any interest in making actual donations to a US plan that has already elicited bitter criticism from Palestinians and many others in the Arab world.

Bahrain, a close American ally and home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been making preparations for weeks.

Although the conference is supposed to focus on economics, Gulf Arab states hope their presence will also show their solidarity with the Trump administration over its hardline against Iran, a senior Gulf diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Under the plan, donor nations and investors would contribute about $50 billion over 10 years, with $28 billion going to the Palestinian territories - the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip - as well as $7.5 billion to Jordan, $9 billion to Egypt and $6 billion for Lebanon.

Among 179 proposed infrastructure and business, projects is a $5 billion transport corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza.

"I laugh when they attack this as the ‘deal of the century,’" Kushner told Reuters, referring to the lofty nickname that Trump’s peace plan has assumed over the past two years.

"This is going to be the ‘opportunity of the century’ if they have the courage to pursue it."

Kushner, a senior Trump adviser who like his father-in-law comes from the world of New York real estate, is presenting his plan in a pair of pamphlets filled with graphs and statistics that resemble an investment prospectus.

But pushing back against critics who accuse Kushner of trying to forge a strictly “economic peace,” he told Reuters last week: “A lot of past attempts have failed. Calm down ... and keep an open mind.”

Peace to Prosperity

Even so, expectations for success are low. The Trump team concedes that the economic plan - billed "Peace to Prosperity" - will be implemented only if a political solution to one of the world’s most intractable conflicts is reached.

Any such solution would have to settle long-standing issues such as the status of Jerusalem, mutually agreed borders, satisfying Israel's security concerns and Palestinian demands for statehood, and the fate of Israel's settlements and military presence in territory Palestinians want to build that state.

In an interview with Al Jazeera set to air on Tuesday, Kushner offered a rare glimpse into the possible political contours of the plan, saying a deal would not adhere to the Arab Peace Initiative, a Saudi-led plan that has been the Arab consensus on the necessary elements for a Palestinian deal since 2002.

"I think we all have to recognise that if there ever is a deal, it's not going to be along the lines of the Arab Peace Initiative. It will be somewhere between the Arab Peace Initiative and between the Israeli position," Kushner told Al Jazeera.

The Arab Peace Initiative offers Israel normal ties with the Arab world in exchange for a Palestinian state drawn along borders that predate Israel's capture of territory in a 1967 war and a fair solution for Palestinian refugees. Israel has rejected some of the initiative's main provisions.

Hanging over the entire initiative are persistent questions about whether the Trump team plans to abandon the "two-state solution," a long-standing principle of Middle East peacemaking that involves the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

But the Trump team has consistently refused to commit to it.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally, has his own domestic problems, facing an election, and possible corruption charges after a long-running police investigation. He denies any wrongdoing.

"We'll hear the American proposition, hear it fairly and with openness," Netanyahu said on Sunday. Although no Israeli government ministers will attend, an Israeli business delegation is expected.

Palestinian leaders have boycotted the workshop, and are refusing to engage with the White House - accusing it of pro-Israel bias after a series of recent Trump decisions. Kushner told Reuters that "some" Palestinian businessmen would be present.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was scathing about its prospects of success.

"Money is important. The economy is important. But politics are more important. The political solution is more important," he said.

Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, has found itself in rare agreement with its arch-rival Abbas. "The Palestinian people only and no one else can represent the Palestinian cause," Hamas official Mushir al-Masri said.

Kushner insists, however, that the economic plan is intended to help draw Palestinians back to the negotiating table by showcasing the benefits a peace deal could bring.

Kushner said that even without the Israeli and Palestinian governments represented, the presence of Israeli business executives and journalists with their Arab counterparts would be significant at a time of rising tensions with Iran.

"People realize that the real threat to that region is Iran and their aggression, and Israel and a lot of the other Arab states have a lot more in common today than they did before," he said.

David Makovsky, a Washington-based Middle East expert, agreed that although the principal focus of the event was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, "Iran is higher on the chain of interest right now."

However, Makovsky, whom the White House has invited as an observer, said of the Trump-Kushner plan: "No one believes you can solve this thing economically without addressing the political issues."

The first stage of President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan will be launched on Tuesday at a conference the White House touts as a bid to begin drumming up $50 billion in investment but which Palestinians deride as an "economy first" approach doomed to fail.

The first stage of President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan will be launched on Tuesday at a conference the White House touts as a bid to begin drumming up $50 billion in investment but which Palestinians deride as an "economy first" approach doomed to fail. The two-day international meeting in Bahrain, led by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been billed as the first part of Washington's long-delayed broader political blueprint to revive the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which will be unveiled at a later date. But neither the Israeli nor Palestinian governments will attend the curtain-raising event in the Bahraini capital, Manama. There will be close scrutiny as to whether attendees such as Saudi Arabia and other wealthy Gulf Arab states show any interest in making actual donations to a US plan that has already elicited bitter criticism from Palestinians and many others in the Arab world. Bahrain, a close American ally and home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, has been making preparations for weeks. Although the conference is supposed to focus on economics, Gulf Arab states hope their presence will also show their solidarity with the Trump administration over its hardline against Iran, a senior Gulf diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Under the plan, donor nations and investors would contribute about $50 billion over 10 years, with $28 billion going to the Palestinian territories - the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip - as well as $7.5 billion to Jordan, $9 billion to Egypt and $6 billion for Lebanon. Among 179 proposed infrastructure and business, projects is a $5 billion transport corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza. "I laugh when they attack this as the ‘deal of the century,’" Kushner told Reuters, referring to the lofty nickname that Trump’s peace plan has assumed over the past two years. "This is going to be the ‘opportunity of the century’ if they have the courage to pursue it." Kushner, a senior Trump adviser who like his father-in-law comes from the world of New York real estate, is presenting his plan in a pair of pamphlets filled with graphs and statistics that resemble an investment prospectus. But pushing back against critics who accuse Kushner of trying to forge a strictly “economic peace,” he told Reuters last week: “A lot of past attempts have failed. Calm down ... and keep an open mind.” Peace to Prosperity Even so, expectations for success are low. The Trump team concedes that the economic plan - billed "Peace to Prosperity" - will be implemented only if a political solution to one of the world’s most intractable conflicts is reached. Any such solution would have to settle long-standing issues such as the status of Jerusalem, mutually agreed borders, satisfying Israel's security concerns and Palestinian demands for statehood, and the fate of Israel's settlements and military presence in territory Palestinians want to build that state. In an interview with Al Jazeera set to air on Tuesday, Kushner offered a rare glimpse into the possible political contours of the plan, saying a deal would not adhere to the Arab Peace Initiative, a Saudi-led plan that has been the Arab consensus on the necessary elements for a Palestinian deal since 2002. "I think we all have to recognise that if there ever is a deal, it's not going to be along the lines of the Arab Peace Initiative. It will be somewhere between the Arab Peace Initiative and between the Israeli position," Kushner told Al Jazeera. The Arab Peace Initiative offers Israel normal ties with the Arab world in exchange for a Palestinian state drawn along borders that predate Israel's capture of territory in a 1967 war and a fair solution for Palestinian refugees. Israel has rejected some of the initiative's main provisions. Hanging over the entire initiative are persistent questions about whether the Trump team plans to abandon the "two-state solution," a long-standing principle of Middle East peacemaking that involves the creation of an independent Palestinian state. But the Trump team has consistently refused to commit to it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close Trump ally, has his own domestic problems, facing an election, and possible corruption charges after a long-running police investigation. He denies any wrongdoing. "We'll hear the American proposition, hear it fairly and with openness," Netanyahu said on Sunday. Although no Israeli government ministers will attend, an Israeli business delegation is expected. Palestinian leaders have boycotted the workshop, and are refusing to engage with the White House - accusing it of pro-Israel bias after a series of recent Trump decisions. Kushner told Reuters that "some" Palestinian businessmen would be present. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, was scathing about its prospects of success. "Money is important. The economy is important. But politics are more important. The political solution is more important," he said. Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, has found itself in rare agreement with its arch-rival Abbas. "The Palestinian people only and no one else can represent the Palestinian cause," Hamas official Mushir al-Masri said. Kushner insists, however, that the economic plan is intended to help draw Palestinians back to the negotiating table by showcasing the benefits a peace deal could bring. Kushner said that even without the Israeli and Palestinian governments represented, the presence of Israeli business executives and journalists with their Arab counterparts would be significant at a time of rising tensions with Iran. "People realize that the real threat to that region is Iran and their aggression, and Israel and a lot of the other Arab states have a lot more in common today than they did before," he said. David Makovsky, a Washington-based Middle East expert, agreed that although the principal focus of the event was the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, "Iran is higher on the chain of interest right now." However, Makovsky, whom the White House has invited as an observer, said of the Trump-Kushner plan: "No one believes you can solve this thing economically without addressing the political issues."

In Bahrain, United States to launch economic part of Mideast peace plan amid skepticism

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is ready to "consider" a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-economy-first-approach-to-mideast-peace-built-on-big-money-projects-229587">US plan to resolve his country's long-running conflict</a> with the Palestinians.

"We will consider the American proposal in a fair and open way," he said as he hosted US national security adviser John Bolton.

The Palestinian leadership has already rejected the plan, citing US "bias" after the White House recognised bitterly divided Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"I don't understand how the Palestinians rejected the plan even before knowing what it contained," said Netanyahu.

"That's not how you move forward."

He was talking during a visit to the Jordan valley, Israeli-occupied territory he has pledged never to give up in a peace deal.

"To those who say that to obtain peace, Israel must leave the Jordan Valley, I say, it will not bring peace -- it will bring war and terror," he said.

"Israel's presence here must continue for Israel's security and the security of all."

Bolton was being hosted by the Israeli leader for talks on "regional security", according to the White House.

His visit came amid a tense standoff between the US and Iran following a series of tanker attacks and the shooting down of an American drone.

The White House is set next week to present details for the first time of its long-awaited peace initiative being formulated by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner.

US officials say it aims to raise more than $50 billion and create more than a million jobs for the Palestinians within a decade.

But the Palestinian Authority is boycotting the so-called Peace to Prosperity workshop in Bahrain.

Palestinians have accused Trump of seeking to buy them off and deprive them of an independent state.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Sunday he was confident the Bahrain conference would fail.

"We need the economic (support), the money and the assistance, but before everything there is a political solution," he said.

"For America to turn the whole cause from a political issue into an economic one, we cannot accept this." 
&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is ready to "consider" a US plan to resolve his country's long-running conflict with the Palestinians. "We will consider the American proposal in a fair and open way," he said as he hosted US national security adviser John Bolton.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is ready to "consider" a US plan to resolve his country's long-running conflict with the Palestinians. "We will consider the American proposal in a fair and open way," he said as he hosted US national security adviser John Bolton. The Palestinian leadership has already rejected the plan, citing US "bias" after the White House recognised bitterly divided Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "I don't understand how the Palestinians rejected the plan even before knowing what it contained," said Netanyahu. "That's not how you move forward." He was talking during a visit to the Jordan valley, Israeli-occupied territory he has pledged never to give up in a peace deal. "To those who say that to obtain peace, Israel must leave the Jordan Valley, I say, it will not bring peace -- it will bring war and terror," he said. "Israel's presence here must continue for Israel's security and the security of all." Bolton was being hosted by the Israeli leader for talks on "regional security", according to the White House. His visit came amid a tense standoff between the US and Iran following a series of tanker attacks and the shooting down of an American drone. The White House is set next week to present details for the first time of its long-awaited peace initiative being formulated by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner. US officials say it aims to raise more than $50 billion and create more than a million jobs for the Palestinians within a decade. But the Palestinian Authority is boycotting the so-called Peace to Prosperity workshop in Bahrain. Palestinians have accused Trump of seeking to buy them off and deprive them of an independent state. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Sunday he was confident the Bahrain conference would fail. "We need the economic (support), the money and the assistance, but before everything there is a political solution," he said. "For America to turn the whole cause from a political issue into an economic one, we cannot accept this."

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu ready to 'consider' long-awaited US peace plan

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's economic vision as part of the wider plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was met with contempt, repudiation and exasperation in the Arab world, even as some in the Gulf called for it to be given a chance.

The $50 billion "peace to prosperity" plan, set to be presented by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at a conference in Bahrain next week, envisions a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies.&nbsp;

But the lack of a political solution, which Washington has said would be unveiled later, prompted rejection not only from Palestinians but also in Arab countries that Israel would seek normal relations with.

From Sudan to Kuwait, prominent commentators and ordinary citizens denounced Kushner's proposals in strikingly similar terms: "colossal waste of time," "non-starter," "dead on arrival."

"Homelands cannot be sold, even for all the money in the world," Egyptian analyst Gamal Fahmy said. "This plan is the brainchild of real estate brokers, not politicians. Even Arab states that are described as moderate are not able to openly express support for it."

Commentator Sarkis Naoum at Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper said, "This economic plan, like others, won't succeed because it has no political foundation."

While the precise outline of the political plan has been shrouded with secrecy, officials briefed on it say Kushner has jettisoned the two-state solution - the long-standing worldwide formula that envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.

The PLO has dismissed Kushner's plans as "all abstract promises," insisting that only a political solution will solve the problem. It said they were an attempt to bribe the Palestinians into accepting Israeli occupation.&nbsp;

Jawad al-Anani, a former senior Jordanian politician, described widespread suspicion after Trump's decisions to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights.

"This is an unbalanced approach: it assumes the Palestinians are the more vulnerable side and they are the ones who can succumb to pressure more easily," he said. "This is a major setback for the whole region."

Azzam Huneidi, deputy head of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, the country's main opposition said: "The economic plan is the sale of Palestine under the banner of prosperity in return for peace and with no land being returned ... and with the bulk of the funds shouldered by Gulf Arab states ... A deal with Arab money."

"Historic crime"

Kushner's economic proposals will be discussed at a U.S.-led gathering on June 25-26. The Palestinian Authority is boycotting and the White House did not invite the Israeli government.

US-allied Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will take part along with officials from Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Lebanon and Iraq will not attend.

Lebanon's Iranian-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah, which wields significant influence over the government, has previously called the plan “an historic crime” that must be stopped.

Arab analysts believe the economic plan is an attempt to buy off opposition to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land with a multi-billion dollar bribe to pay off the neighbouring hosts of millions of Palestinian refugees to integrate them.

"It is disingenuous to say that this plan is purely economic because it has a political dimension that has implications that are incongruous with the political aspirations," said Safwan Masri, a Columbia University professor.

"A big part of the $50 billion will go to neighbouring states to settle the Palestinian refugees in those countries."

After Israel’s creation in 1948, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon absorbed the most Palestinian refugees, with some estimates that they now account for around five million.

Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at Beirut's Carnegie Middle East Center, said: "I see it failing miserably while benefiting U.S. adversaries in the region," a reference to Iran.

"No harm in listening"

In recent years, Iran's bitter rivalry with a bloc led by Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has increasingly pushed the Arab-Israeli struggle into the background.

While Riyadh and its allies have welcomed Trump’s harder line against Tehran, which has cast itself as the guardian of Palestinian rights, critics accuse Saudi Arabia, the custodian of Islam's holiest places, of abandoning the Palestinians.

Amid fears that it would push them to accept a U.S. plan that favours Israel, Saudi Arabia has assured Arab allies it would not endorse anything that fails to meet key Palestinian demands.&nbsp;

Ali Shihabi, who heads the Arabia Foundation which supports Saudi policies, said the Palestinian Authority was wrong to reject the plan out of hand.

"It should accept it and work on delivering the benefits to its people and then move forward aggressively with non-violent work ... to seek political rights,” he tweeted.

Prominent Emirati businessman Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor has also criticised the Palestinians' refusal to go to Bahrain, calling it "short-sighted at best, self-defeating at worst."

"There is no harm in listening to what will be placed on the table," he wrote last month.

Yet even in the Gulf, backing for Kushner's plan is limited.

Majed al-Ansari, a political sociology professor at Qatar University, called it laughable and unrealistic.

"The idea of moving from land-for-peace to money-for-peace, is insulting to the Palestinian cause," he said. "It is very clear that Kushner's idea is about paying for Palestinian approval of Israel taking over all their land and basically giving no concessions to the Palestinians."

Kuwaiti researcher Maitham al-Shakhs predicted Washington would be unable to implement the plan through diplomacy and might have to impose it by force.

"(Trump) gave Israel Jerusalem and the Golan, and every day he gives them gifts at the expense of the Arabs."

Emirati political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said the Palestinians are entitled to reject Kushner's plan because it does not meet their minimum aspirations.

"The plan is not even palatable to the wider audience in the region. It will be a sell-off of a just cause," he said.

"The Gulf states will have a hard time to force it on the Palestinians. They will have a hard time convincing the Palestinians ... it’s not what people expect after years of conflict and struggle."

US President Donald Trump's economic vision as part of the wider plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was met with contempt, repudiation and exasperation in the Arab world, even as some in the Gulf called for it to be given a chance.

US President Donald Trump's economic vision as part of the wider plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was met with contempt, repudiation and exasperation in the Arab world, even as some in the Gulf called for it to be given a chance. The $50 billion "peace to prosperity" plan, set to be presented by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner at a conference in Bahrain next week, envisions a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies. But the lack of a political solution, which Washington has said would be unveiled later, prompted rejection not only from Palestinians but also in Arab countries that Israel would seek normal relations with. From Sudan to Kuwait, prominent commentators and ordinary citizens denounced Kushner's proposals in strikingly similar terms: "colossal waste of time," "non-starter," "dead on arrival." "Homelands cannot be sold, even for all the money in the world," Egyptian analyst Gamal Fahmy said. "This plan is the brainchild of real estate brokers, not politicians. Even Arab states that are described as moderate are not able to openly express support for it." Commentator Sarkis Naoum at Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper said, "This economic plan, like others, won't succeed because it has no political foundation." While the precise outline of the political plan has been shrouded with secrecy, officials briefed on it say Kushner has jettisoned the two-state solution - the long-standing worldwide formula that envisages an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. The PLO has dismissed Kushner's plans as "all abstract promises," insisting that only a political solution will solve the problem. It said they were an attempt to bribe the Palestinians into accepting Israeli occupation. Jawad al-Anani, a former senior Jordanian politician, described widespread suspicion after Trump's decisions to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognise Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. "This is an unbalanced approach: it assumes the Palestinians are the more vulnerable side and they are the ones who can succumb to pressure more easily," he said. "This is a major setback for the whole region." Azzam Huneidi, deputy head of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, the country's main opposition said: "The economic plan is the sale of Palestine under the banner of prosperity in return for peace and with no land being returned ... and with the bulk of the funds shouldered by Gulf Arab states ... A deal with Arab money." "Historic crime" Kushner's economic proposals will be discussed at a U.S.-led gathering on June 25-26. The Palestinian Authority is boycotting and the White House did not invite the Israeli government. US-allied Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will take part along with officials from Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Lebanon and Iraq will not attend. Lebanon's Iranian-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah, which wields significant influence over the government, has previously called the plan “an historic crime” that must be stopped. Arab analysts believe the economic plan is an attempt to buy off opposition to Israel's occupation of Palestinian land with a multi-billion dollar bribe to pay off the neighbouring hosts of millions of Palestinian refugees to integrate them. "It is disingenuous to say that this plan is purely economic because it has a political dimension that has implications that are incongruous with the political aspirations," said Safwan Masri, a Columbia University professor. "A big part of the $50 billion will go to neighbouring states to settle the Palestinian refugees in those countries." After Israel’s creation in 1948, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon absorbed the most Palestinian refugees, with some estimates that they now account for around five million. Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at Beirut's Carnegie Middle East Center, said: "I see it failing miserably while benefiting U.S. adversaries in the region," a reference to Iran. "No harm in listening" In recent years, Iran's bitter rivalry with a bloc led by Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia has increasingly pushed the Arab-Israeli struggle into the background. While Riyadh and its allies have welcomed Trump’s harder line against Tehran, which has cast itself as the guardian of Palestinian rights, critics accuse Saudi Arabia, the custodian of Islam's holiest places, of abandoning the Palestinians. Amid fears that it would push them to accept a U.S. plan that favours Israel, Saudi Arabia has assured Arab allies it would not endorse anything that fails to meet key Palestinian demands. Ali Shihabi, who heads the Arabia Foundation which supports Saudi policies, said the Palestinian Authority was wrong to reject the plan out of hand. "It should accept it and work on delivering the benefits to its people and then move forward aggressively with non-violent work ... to seek political rights,” he tweeted. Prominent Emirati businessman Khalaf Ahmad al-Habtoor has also criticised the Palestinians' refusal to go to Bahrain, calling it "short-sighted at best, self-defeating at worst." "There is no harm in listening to what will be placed on the table," he wrote last month. Yet even in the Gulf, backing for Kushner's plan is limited. Majed al-Ansari, a political sociology professor at Qatar University, called it laughable and unrealistic. "The idea of moving from land-for-peace to money-for-peace, is insulting to the Palestinian cause," he said. "It is very clear that Kushner's idea is about paying for Palestinian approval of Israel taking over all their land and basically giving no concessions to the Palestinians." Kuwaiti researcher Maitham al-Shakhs predicted Washington would be unable to implement the plan through diplomacy and might have to impose it by force. "(Trump) gave Israel Jerusalem and the Golan, and every day he gives them gifts at the expense of the Arabs." Emirati political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said the Palestinians are entitled to reject Kushner's plan because it does not meet their minimum aspirations. "The plan is not even palatable to the wider audience in the region. It will be a sell-off of a just cause," he said. "The Gulf states will have a hard time to force it on the Palestinians. They will have a hard time convincing the Palestinians ... it’s not what people expect after years of conflict and struggle."

Kushner's economic plan for Mideast peace faces broad Arab rejection

The Trump administration's $50 billion Middle East economic plan calls for creation of a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies, and construction of a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza, according to US officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.

The "economy first" approach toward reviving the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process could be a hard sell to a largely skeptical region. The plan, set to be presented by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at an international conference in Bahrain next week, includes 179 infrastructure and business projects, according to the documents.

More than half of the $50 billion would be spent in the economically troubled Palestinian territories over 10 years while the rest would be split between Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. Some of the projects would be in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, where investments could benefit Palestinians living in adjacent Gaza, a crowded and impoverished coastal enclave.

The plan also proposes nearly a billion dollars to build up the Palestinians' tourism sector, a seemingly impractical notion for now given the frequent flareups between Israeli forces and militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza, and the tenuous security in the occupied West Bank.

The Trump administration hopes that other countries, principally wealthy Gulf states, and private investors, would foot much of the bill, Kushner told Reuters.

The unveiling of the economic blueprint follows two years of deliberations and delays in rolling out a broader peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians, who are boycotting the event, have refused to talk to the Trump administration since it recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital in late 2017.

Kushner made clear in two interviews with Reuters that he sees his detailed formula as a game-changer, despite the view of many Middle East experts that he has little chance of success where decades of US-backed peace efforts have failed.

"I laugh when they attack this as the 'Deal of the Century'," Kushner said of Palestinian leaders who have dismissed his plan as an attempt to buy off their aspirations for statehood. "This is going to be the 'Opportunity of the Century' if they have the courage to pursue it."

Kushner said some Palestinian business executives have confirmed their participation in the conference, but he declined to identify them. The overwhelming majority of the Palestinian business community will not attend, businessmen in the West Bank city of Ramallah told Reuters.

Several Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, will also participate in the June 25-26 US-led gathering in Bahrain's capital, Manama, for Kushner's rollout of the first phase of the Trump peace plan. Their presence, some US officials say privately, appears intended in part to curry favor with Trump as he takes a hard line against Iran, those countries' regional arch-foe.

The White House said it decided against inviting the Israeli government because the Palestinian Authority would not be there, making do instead with a small Israeli business delegation.

Political disputes remain

There are strong doubts whether potential donor governments would be willing to open their checkbooks anytime soon, as long as the thorny political disputes at the heart of the decades-old Palestinian conflict remain unresolved.

The 38-year-old Kushner - who like his father-in-law came to government steeped in the world of New York real estate deal-making - seems to be treating peacemaking in some ways like a business transaction, analysts and former US officials say.

Palestinian officials reject the overall US-led peace effort as heavily tilted in favor of Israel and likely to deny them a fully sovereign state of their own.

Kushner's attempt to decide economic priorities first while initially sidestepping politics ignores the realities of the conflict, say many experts.

"This is completely out of sequence because the Israeli-Palestinian issue is primarily driven by historical wounds and overlapping claims to land and sacred space," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic administrations.

Kushner acknowledges that "you can't push the economic plan forward without resolving the political issues as well." The administration, he said, will "address that at a later time," referring to the second stage of the peace plan's rollout now expected no earlier than November.

Kushner says his approach is aimed at laying out economic incentives to show the Palestinians the potential for a prosperous future if they return to the table to negotiate a peace deal.

White House officials have played down expectations for Manama, which will put Kushner just across the Gulf from Iran at a time of surging tensions between Tehran and Washington.

Kushner, for instance, is calling it a "Prosperity to Peace workshop" instead of a conference, and a "vision" instead of an actual plan. He stressed that governments would not be expected to make financial pledges on the spot.

"It is a small victory that they are all showing up to listen and partake. In the old days, the Palestinian leaders would have spoken and nobody would have disobeyed," he said.

Travel corridor

Kushner's proposed new investment fund for the Palestinians and neighboring states would be administered by a "multilateral development bank." Global financial lenders including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank plan to be present at the meeting.

A signature project would be to construct a travel corridor for Palestinian use that would cross Israel to link the West Bank and Gaza. It could include a highway and possibly a rail line. The narrowest distance between the territories, whose populations have long been divided by Israeli travel restrictions, is about 40 km (25 miles).

Kushner insists that if executed the plan would create a million jobs in the West Bank and Gaza, reduce Palestinian poverty by half and double the Palestinians' GDP.

But most foreign investors will likely stay clear for the moment, not only because of security and corruption concerns but also because of the drag on the Palestinian economy from Israel's West Bank occupation that obstructs the flow of people, goods and services, experts say.

Kushner sees his economic approach as resembling the Marshall Plan, which Washington introduced in 1948 to rebuild Western Europe from the devastation of World War Two. Unlike the US-funded Marshall Plan, however, the latest initiative would put much of the financial burden on other countries.

Trump would "consider making a big investment in it" if there is a good governance mechanism, Kushner said. But he was non-committal about how much the president, who has often proved himself averse to foreign aid, might contribute.

Economic programs have been tried before in the long line of US-led peace efforts, only to fail for lack of political progress. Kushner's approach, however, may be the most detailed so far, presented in two pamphlets of 40 and 96 pages each that are filled with financial tables and economic projections.

In Manama, the yet-to-released political part of the plan will not be up for discussion, Kushner said.

The economic documents offer no development projects in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

What Kushner hopes, however, is that the Saudis and other Gulf delegates will like what they hear enough to urge Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to consider the plan.

The message Kushner wants them to take to Ramallah: "We'd like to see you go to the table and negotiate and try to make a deal to better the lives of the Palestinian people."

Palestinian officials fear that, even with all the high-priced promises, Kushner's economic formula is just a prelude to a political plan that would jettison the two-state solution, the long-time cornerstone of US and international peace efforts.

The Trump administration's $50 billion Middle East economic plan calls for creation of a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies, and construction of a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza, according to US officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.

The Trump administration's $50 billion Middle East economic plan calls for creation of a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies, and construction of a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza, according to US officials and documents reviewed by Reuters. The "economy first" approach toward reviving the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process could be a hard sell to a largely skeptical region. The plan, set to be presented by President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at an international conference in Bahrain next week, includes 179 infrastructure and business projects, according to the documents. More than half of the $50 billion would be spent in the economically troubled Palestinian territories over 10 years while the rest would be split between Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan. Some of the projects would be in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, where investments could benefit Palestinians living in adjacent Gaza, a crowded and impoverished coastal enclave. The plan also proposes nearly a billion dollars to build up the Palestinians' tourism sector, a seemingly impractical notion for now given the frequent flareups between Israeli forces and militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza, and the tenuous security in the occupied West Bank. The Trump administration hopes that other countries, principally wealthy Gulf states, and private investors, would foot much of the bill, Kushner told Reuters. The unveiling of the economic blueprint follows two years of deliberations and delays in rolling out a broader peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians, who are boycotting the event, have refused to talk to the Trump administration since it recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital in late 2017. Kushner made clear in two interviews with Reuters that he sees his detailed formula as a game-changer, despite the view of many Middle East experts that he has little chance of success where decades of US-backed peace efforts have failed. "I laugh when they attack this as the 'Deal of the Century'," Kushner said of Palestinian leaders who have dismissed his plan as an attempt to buy off their aspirations for statehood. "This is going to be the 'Opportunity of the Century' if they have the courage to pursue it." Kushner said some Palestinian business executives have confirmed their participation in the conference, but he declined to identify them. The overwhelming majority of the Palestinian business community will not attend, businessmen in the West Bank city of Ramallah told Reuters. Several Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, will also participate in the June 25-26 US-led gathering in Bahrain's capital, Manama, for Kushner's rollout of the first phase of the Trump peace plan. Their presence, some US officials say privately, appears intended in part to curry favor with Trump as he takes a hard line against Iran, those countries' regional arch-foe. The White House said it decided against inviting the Israeli government because the Palestinian Authority would not be there, making do instead with a small Israeli business delegation. Political disputes remain There are strong doubts whether potential donor governments would be willing to open their checkbooks anytime soon, as long as the thorny political disputes at the heart of the decades-old Palestinian conflict remain unresolved. The 38-year-old Kushner - who like his father-in-law came to government steeped in the world of New York real estate deal-making - seems to be treating peacemaking in some ways like a business transaction, analysts and former US officials say. Palestinian officials reject the overall US-led peace effort as heavily tilted in favor of Israel and likely to deny them a fully sovereign state of their own. Kushner's attempt to decide economic priorities first while initially sidestepping politics ignores the realities of the conflict, say many experts. "This is completely out of sequence because the Israeli-Palestinian issue is primarily driven by historical wounds and overlapping claims to land and sacred space," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic administrations. Kushner acknowledges that "you can't push the economic plan forward without resolving the political issues as well." The administration, he said, will "address that at a later time," referring to the second stage of the peace plan's rollout now expected no earlier than November. Kushner says his approach is aimed at laying out economic incentives to show the Palestinians the potential for a prosperous future if they return to the table to negotiate a peace deal. White House officials have played down expectations for Manama, which will put Kushner just across the Gulf from Iran at a time of surging tensions between Tehran and Washington. Kushner, for instance, is calling it a "Prosperity to Peace workshop" instead of a conference, and a "vision" instead of an actual plan. He stressed that governments would not be expected to make financial pledges on the spot. "It is a small victory that they are all showing up to listen and partake. In the old days, the Palestinian leaders would have spoken and nobody would have disobeyed," he said. Travel corridor Kushner's proposed new investment fund for the Palestinians and neighboring states would be administered by a "multilateral development bank." Global financial lenders including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank plan to be present at the meeting. A signature project would be to construct a travel corridor for Palestinian use that would cross Israel to link the West Bank and Gaza. It could include a highway and possibly a rail line. The narrowest distance between the territories, whose populations have long been divided by Israeli travel restrictions, is about 40 km (25 miles). Kushner insists that if executed the plan would create a million jobs in the West Bank and Gaza, reduce Palestinian poverty by half and double the Palestinians' GDP. But most foreign investors will likely stay clear for the moment, not only because of security and corruption concerns but also because of the drag on the Palestinian economy from Israel's West Bank occupation that obstructs the flow of people, goods and services, experts say. Kushner sees his economic approach as resembling the Marshall Plan, which Washington introduced in 1948 to rebuild Western Europe from the devastation of World War Two. Unlike the US-funded Marshall Plan, however, the latest initiative would put much of the financial burden on other countries. Trump would "consider making a big investment in it" if there is a good governance mechanism, Kushner said. But he was non-committal about how much the president, who has often proved himself averse to foreign aid, might contribute. Economic programs have been tried before in the long line of US-led peace efforts, only to fail for lack of political progress. Kushner's approach, however, may be the most detailed so far, presented in two pamphlets of 40 and 96 pages each that are filled with financial tables and economic projections. In Manama, the yet-to-released political part of the plan will not be up for discussion, Kushner said. The economic documents offer no development projects in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state. What Kushner hopes, however, is that the Saudis and other Gulf delegates will like what they hear enough to urge Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to consider the plan. The message Kushner wants them to take to Ramallah: "We'd like to see you go to the table and negotiate and try to make a deal to better the lives of the Palestinian people." Palestinian officials fear that, even with all the high-priced promises, Kushner's economic formula is just a prelude to a political plan that would jettison the two-state solution, the long-time cornerstone of US and international peace efforts.

Kushner unveils economic portion of Middle East peace plan

Donald trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner made $135 million in the last financial year. Watch this video to know more.

Trump clan's financial disclosure

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is visiting the Middle East, the White House said Tuesday, signalling a fresh push on a long-promised but yet to be delivered peace plan for the region.

The trip comes amid a flurry of other administration moves to shore up alliances with Arab allies against Iran and the deployment of warships and bombers to the region.

Kushner is accompanied by Jason Greenblatt, Trump's special representative for international negotiations, and Brian Hook, the special US representative for Iran, the White House said.

They "will travel from May 27 to May 31 to Rabat, Amman and Jerusalem," a White House official said on condition of anonymity.

The pair shared an iftar dinner -- the traditional meal to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- with Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

"Thank you to His Majesty for a special evening and for sharing your wisdom," Greenblatt tweeted. "Morocco is an important friend &amp; ally of the United States."

The Trump administration is expected to unveil the peace plan -- after numerous failures by its predecessors -- possibly as early as next month, but the Palestinians have already rejected it as heavily biased in favor of Israel.

Washington has yet to commit to an exact timetable with respect to the political aspects of the plan.

Kushner is the chief architect of the proposals and Greenblatt, a longtime Trump lawyer, has served as his right-hand man on the Middle East initiative.

Upon his arrival in the White House more than two years ago, Trump proclaimed his ambition to secure a final accord ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But the odds of his succeeding where every previous US president -- Republicans as well as Democrats -- have failed appear particularly low.

Palestinians have boycotted the process since Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017.

Bahrain conference

The US is expected to roll out the economic aspects of the peace plan at a conference in Bahrain on June 25-26.

Co-hosts US and Bahrain have billed it as "a pivotal opportunity... to share ideas, discuss strategies and galvanize support for potential economic investments and initiatives that could be made possible by a peace agreement."

But Palestinian political leaders say they will boycott it and Palestinian business leaders said they won't go either, raising further questions about the plan's viability.

"Any economic project without a political solution is selling an illusion," said Arafat Asfour, chairman of the Palestine Trade Center.

Among those declining an invitation was Bashar al-Masri, a high-profile Palestinian businessman who worked with international partners and in cooperation with the Israelis to invest $1.4 billion in the new Palestinian town of Rawabi.

Kushner, who will join up with Trump in London after going to the Middle East, has been evasive about the US plan, which has been shrouded in secrecy.

While promising new ideas to revive a moribund peace process, he has refused to talk about a two-state solution, the formula that has long been at the heart of international efforts to achieve peace and also the official US position.

Instead, he has looked to an alliance with the Saudis against Iran as a way to gain Arab support for his plan.

Three days before Kushner's trip, Trump authorized $8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, bypassing Congress.

Arms sales to the kingdom were frozen after the assassination of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in October and in response to mounting concerns over the human toll of a Saudi-led armed campaign in Yemen.

But the administration defended the sales as necessary "to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defense capacity."

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is visiting the Middle East, the White House said Tuesday, signalling a fresh push on a long-promised but yet to be delivered peace plan for the region.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is visiting the Middle East, the White House said Tuesday, signalling a fresh push on a long-promised but yet to be delivered peace plan for the region. The trip comes amid a flurry of other administration moves to shore up alliances with Arab allies against Iran and the deployment of warships and bombers to the region. Kushner is accompanied by Jason Greenblatt, Trump's special representative for international negotiations, and Brian Hook, the special US representative for Iran, the White House said. They "will travel from May 27 to May 31 to Rabat, Amman and Jerusalem," a White House official said on condition of anonymity. The pair shared an iftar dinner -- the traditional meal to break the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- with Morocco's King Mohammed VI, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita. "Thank you to His Majesty for a special evening and for sharing your wisdom," Greenblatt tweeted. "Morocco is an important friend & ally of the United States." The Trump administration is expected to unveil the peace plan -- after numerous failures by its predecessors -- possibly as early as next month, but the Palestinians have already rejected it as heavily biased in favor of Israel. Washington has yet to commit to an exact timetable with respect to the political aspects of the plan. Kushner is the chief architect of the proposals and Greenblatt, a longtime Trump lawyer, has served as his right-hand man on the Middle East initiative. Upon his arrival in the White House more than two years ago, Trump proclaimed his ambition to secure a final accord ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the odds of his succeeding where every previous US president -- Republicans as well as Democrats -- have failed appear particularly low. Palestinians have boycotted the process since Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017. Bahrain conference The US is expected to roll out the economic aspects of the peace plan at a conference in Bahrain on June 25-26. Co-hosts US and Bahrain have billed it as "a pivotal opportunity... to share ideas, discuss strategies and galvanize support for potential economic investments and initiatives that could be made possible by a peace agreement." But Palestinian political leaders say they will boycott it and Palestinian business leaders said they won't go either, raising further questions about the plan's viability. "Any economic project without a political solution is selling an illusion," said Arafat Asfour, chairman of the Palestine Trade Center. Among those declining an invitation was Bashar al-Masri, a high-profile Palestinian businessman who worked with international partners and in cooperation with the Israelis to invest $1.4 billion in the new Palestinian town of Rawabi. Kushner, who will join up with Trump in London after going to the Middle East, has been evasive about the US plan, which has been shrouded in secrecy. While promising new ideas to revive a moribund peace process, he has refused to talk about a two-state solution, the formula that has long been at the heart of international efforts to achieve peace and also the official US position. Instead, he has looked to an alliance with the Saudis against Iran as a way to gain Arab support for his plan. Three days before Kushner's trip, Trump authorized $8.1 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, bypassing Congress. Arms sales to the kingdom were frozen after the assassination of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in October and in response to mounting concerns over the human toll of a Saudi-led armed campaign in Yemen. But the administration defended the sales as necessary "to deter Iranian aggression and build partner self-defense capacity."

Jared Kushner visits Middle East to press US peace plan

Germany's largest lender Deutsche Bank failed to forward suspicions about transactions involving US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-sues-banks-in-bid-to-block-congress-subpoenas-214838">Donald Trump</a> to American authorities, the New York Times reported, prompting the firm to issue a categorical denial Monday.

"At no time was an investigator prevented from escalating activity identified as potentially suspicious" to the Treasury Department, a spokesman for the bank told AFP.

"The suggestion that anyone was reassigned or fired in an effort to quash concerns related to any client is categorically false," he added.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Deutsche did not follow recommendations from its own money-laundering specialists that some transactions by companies controlled by Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner should be flagged to authorities.

Certain dealings in 2016 and 2017, including some with entities and individuals outside the US, set off automated alerts in the bank's systems, prompting employees to prepare "suspicious activity reports" on some of them.

But executives "rejected their employees' advice" that they be sent to the Treasury, the NYT reported.

Analysis: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/analysis-trump-russia-and-deutsche-banklinks-that-raise-many-many-questions-11975">Trump, Russia and Deutsche Bank? Links that raise many, many questions</a>

Former employees interviewed by the paper, some speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged a culture of blocking suspicious activity reports to protect client relationships at Deutsche, with one saying she was fired after raising concerns.

Deutsche Bank was one of the few major banks to continue to lend to Trump following the bankruptcies of his casinos and other businesses in the 1990s, and has lent "billions" to him and Kushner according to the NYT.

"We have increased our anti-financial crime staff and enhanced our controls in recent years and take compliance with the anti-money-laundering laws very seriously," the Deutsche spokesman said.

While the lender has boosted its compliance staff to around 3,000 people spread around the world, its performance in pursuing financial crime has failed to satisfy some authorities.

Last year, German market watchdog Bafin took the unprecedented step of naming audit firm KPMG as an independent supervisor of Deutsche's progress on squeezing out money-laundering and other illicit activities.

That role has been extended to cover so-called "correspondent banking" after Deutsche was drawn into a massive money-laundering scandal around Denmark's Danske Bank.

Germany's largest lender Deutsche Bank failed to forward suspicions about transactions involving US President Donald Trump to American authorities, the New York Times reported, prompting the firm to issue a categorical denial Monday.

Germany's largest lender Deutsche Bank failed to forward suspicions about transactions involving US President Donald Trump to American authorities, the New York Times reported, prompting the firm to issue a categorical denial Monday. "At no time was an investigator prevented from escalating activity identified as potentially suspicious" to the Treasury Department, a spokesman for the bank told AFP. "The suggestion that anyone was reassigned or fired in an effort to quash concerns related to any client is categorically false," he added. The New York Times reported Sunday that Deutsche did not follow recommendations from its own money-laundering specialists that some transactions by companies controlled by Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner should be flagged to authorities. Certain dealings in 2016 and 2017, including some with entities and individuals outside the US, set off automated alerts in the bank's systems, prompting employees to prepare "suspicious activity reports" on some of them. But executives "rejected their employees' advice" that they be sent to the Treasury, the NYT reported. Analysis: Trump, Russia and Deutsche Bank? Links that raise many, many questions Former employees interviewed by the paper, some speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged a culture of blocking suspicious activity reports to protect client relationships at Deutsche, with one saying she was fired after raising concerns. Deutsche Bank was one of the few major banks to continue to lend to Trump following the bankruptcies of his casinos and other businesses in the 1990s, and has lent "billions" to him and Kushner according to the NYT. "We have increased our anti-financial crime staff and enhanced our controls in recent years and take compliance with the anti-money-laundering laws very seriously," the Deutsche spokesman said. While the lender has boosted its compliance staff to around 3,000 people spread around the world, its performance in pursuing financial crime has failed to satisfy some authorities. Last year, German market watchdog Bafin took the unprecedented step of naming audit firm KPMG as an independent supervisor of Deutsche's progress on squeezing out money-laundering and other illicit activities. That role has been extended to cover so-called "correspondent banking" after Deutsche was drawn into a massive money-laundering scandal around Denmark's Danske Bank.

Deutsche says money-laundering reports not waived for Trump

A team in White House has talked about Trump's plan which is called 'Deal of Century' to solve Israel-Palestine conflict. Watch full video to know more.

Trump's 'Deal of Century' details unveiled

<div style="text-align:start; -webkit-text-stroke-width:0px"><a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/new-trump-immigration-plan-may-increase-visas-for-highly-skilled-workers-213463&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjzzZyG1_7hAhW0V3wKHY-nCBQQFjAAegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3qNjBvgm8F1WorsoZBEJ5S">White House senior adviser Jared Kushner</a> said on Thursday he hopes Israel will take a hard look at President Donald Trump's upcoming Middle East peace proposal before proceeding with any plan to annex West Bank settlements.</div>

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed in the waning days of a re-election campaign he won on April 9 to annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a move that would be bound to trigger condemnation from the Palestinians and the Arab world and complicate the US peace effort.

Kushner, speaking at a dinner of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Middle East peace proposal he has been putting together was close to release and that Israel and the Palestinians should wait to see it before making any unilateral moves.

He said the issue would be discussed with the Israeli government when <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-sworn-into-israels-new-parliament-after-election-victory-214818&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiZ8oup1_7hAhVJM48KHR9uCDMQFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ziDjNOENbR_f_mchGHymy">Netanyahu forms a governing coalition.</a>

"I hope both sides will take a real look at it, the Israeli side and the Palestinian side before any unilateral steps are made," Kushner said, adding he had not discussed the issue of settlement annexation with Netanyahu.

Kushner and Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt have spent the past two years developing the peace proposal in the hopes it will provide a framework for a renewed dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The Palestinians have refused to talk to the US side since Trump decided to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, all territory Israel captured in 1967.

Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, is expected to unveil his proposals in June after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

"What we will be able to put together is a solution that we believe is a good starting point for the political issues and then an outline for what can be done to help these people start living a better life," Kushner said.

"I was given the assignment of trying to find a solution between the two sides and I think what we'll put forward is a framework that I think is realistic ... it's executable and it's something that I do think will lead to both sides being much better off," Kushner said.

POLITICAL, ECONOMIC COMPONENTS

Kushner has begun to take a more public role in the Trump administration since he emerged unscathed from US&nbsp;Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into whether the Trump presidential campaign in 2016 colluded with Russia.

Trump has relied heavily on the 38-year-old Kushner, who helped develop prison reform legislation and a new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, and is also working on a US immigration proposal.

The Middle East proposal, which has been delayed for a variety of reasons over the past 18 months, has two major components.

It has a political piece that addresses core issues such as the status of Jerusalem, and an economic part that aims to help the Palestinians strengthen their economy.

Kushner has said the proposal is not an effort to impose the US will on the region.

He has not said whether it calls for a two-state solution, a goal of past peace efforts.

On Thursday night, he called on critics to hold their fire until they are able to see the plan in its entirety.

Palestinians have voiced scepticism about the effort led by Trump's son-in-law, who was a real estate developer before joining his father-in-law as a senior White House adviser.

Arab officials and analysts believe the plan is likely to be decidedly pro-Israel since the Trump administration has taken a tough line toward Palestinians, cutting off aid and ordering the PLO's office in Washington shut.

Greenblatt has said US&nbsp;negotiators expect Israelis and Palestinians will both be critical of some parts of the plan.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said on Thursday he hopes Israel will take a hard look at President Donald Trump's upcoming Middle East peace proposal before proceeding with any plan to annex West Bank settlements.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said on Thursday he hopes Israel will take a hard look at President Donald Trump's upcoming Middle East peace proposal before proceeding with any plan to annex West Bank settlements. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed in the waning days of a re-election campaign he won on April 9 to annex Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a move that would be bound to trigger condemnation from the Palestinians and the Arab world and complicate the US peace effort. Kushner, speaking at a dinner of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Middle East peace proposal he has been putting together was close to release and that Israel and the Palestinians should wait to see it before making any unilateral moves. He said the issue would be discussed with the Israeli government when Netanyahu forms a governing coalition. "I hope both sides will take a real look at it, the Israeli side and the Palestinian side before any unilateral steps are made," Kushner said, adding he had not discussed the issue of settlement annexation with Netanyahu. Kushner and Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt have spent the past two years developing the peace proposal in the hopes it will provide a framework for a renewed dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinians have refused to talk to the US side since Trump decided to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The Palestinians want to establish a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, all territory Israel captured in 1967. Kushner, who is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, is expected to unveil his proposals in June after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. "What we will be able to put together is a solution that we believe is a good starting point for the political issues and then an outline for what can be done to help these people start living a better life," Kushner said. "I was given the assignment of trying to find a solution between the two sides and I think what we'll put forward is a framework that I think is realistic ... it's executable and it's something that I do think will lead to both sides being much better off," Kushner said. POLITICAL, ECONOMIC COMPONENTS Kushner has begun to take a more public role in the Trump administration since he emerged unscathed from US Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into whether the Trump presidential campaign in 2016 colluded with Russia. Trump has relied heavily on the 38-year-old Kushner, who helped develop prison reform legislation and a new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, and is also working on a US immigration proposal. The Middle East proposal, which has been delayed for a variety of reasons over the past 18 months, has two major components. It has a political piece that addresses core issues such as the status of Jerusalem, and an economic part that aims to help the Palestinians strengthen their economy. Kushner has said the proposal is not an effort to impose the US will on the region. He has not said whether it calls for a two-state solution, a goal of past peace efforts. On Thursday night, he called on critics to hold their fire until they are able to see the plan in its entirety. Palestinians have voiced scepticism about the effort led by Trump's son-in-law, who was a real estate developer before joining his father-in-law as a senior White House adviser. Arab officials and analysts believe the plan is likely to be decidedly pro-Israel since the Trump administration has taken a tough line toward Palestinians, cutting off aid and ordering the PLO's office in Washington shut. Greenblatt has said US negotiators expect Israelis and Palestinians will both be critical of some parts of the plan.

White House advisor Jared Kushner hopes Israel will look at peace plan before any West Bank moves

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner said Tuesday he would present his long-awaited Middle East peace proposal around June and that it would include a "robust business plan" for the Palestinians.

Kushner, speaking at a forum of Time magazine, said he had hoped to offer the proposal late last year but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then called elections and still needs time to form a coalition.

"Once that's done we'll probably be in the middle of Ramadan, so we'll wait until after Ramadan and then we'll put our plan out," said Kushner, a senior advisor to Trump, referring to the Muslim fasting month which ends in early June.

Kushner's impending plan has already been met with deep scepticism from the Palestinians, who say Trump cannot be an honest broker after he took the landmark step of recognising bitterly disputed Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

But Kushner, whose own role has been questioned due to his longstanding family ties with Netanyahu, said he remained hopeful that his "unconventional approach" would bear fruit.

He declined to answer if the plan would include longstanding US support for a Palestinian state, after hints by the administration that it would not, but said it would include investment to boost the Palestinian economy.

"Our focus is really on the bottom up, which is how do you make the lives of the Palestinian people better, what can you resolve to allow these areas to become more investable?" he said.

"We deal with all the core status issues because you have to do it, but we've also built a robust business plan for the whole region," he said.

Kushner also said the plan would address Israel's concerns over security.

"I think that what we do is something that allows for Israel to maintain security, but there will be tough compromises for both," he said.

Netanyahu in his election campaign had vowed to annex parts of the West Bank where Israeli settlers live, a prospect that would doom longstanding Palestinian hopes of a state.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner said Tuesday he would present his long-awaited Middle East peace proposal around June and that it would include a "robust business plan" for the Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner said Tuesday he would present his long-awaited Middle East peace proposal around June and that it would include a "robust business plan" for the Palestinians. Kushner, speaking at a forum of Time magazine, said he had hoped to offer the proposal late last year but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then called elections and still needs time to form a coalition. "Once that's done we'll probably be in the middle of Ramadan, so we'll wait until after Ramadan and then we'll put our plan out," said Kushner, a senior advisor to Trump, referring to the Muslim fasting month which ends in early June. Kushner's impending plan has already been met with deep scepticism from the Palestinians, who say Trump cannot be an honest broker after he took the landmark step of recognising bitterly disputed Jerusalem as Israel's capital. But Kushner, whose own role has been questioned due to his longstanding family ties with Netanyahu, said he remained hopeful that his "unconventional approach" would bear fruit. He declined to answer if the plan would include longstanding US support for a Palestinian state, after hints by the administration that it would not, but said it would include investment to boost the Palestinian economy. "Our focus is really on the bottom up, which is how do you make the lives of the Palestinian people better, what can you resolve to allow these areas to become more investable?" he said. "We deal with all the core status issues because you have to do it, but we've also built a robust business plan for the whole region," he said. Kushner also said the plan would address Israel's concerns over security. "I think that what we do is something that allows for Israel to maintain security, but there will be tough compromises for both," he said. Netanyahu in his election campaign had vowed to annex parts of the West Bank where Israeli settlers live, a prospect that would doom longstanding Palestinian hopes of a state.

Mideast plan to come after Ramadan, seek Palestinian investment: Jared Kushner

The US President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

It said senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, which prompted then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to write an internal memo about how he had been ordered to give Kushner the top-secret clearance.

The White House counsel at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote an internal memo outlining concerns raised about Kushner and how McGahn had recommended against the decision, it said.

The Times said the memos contradicted a statement made by Trump in an interview with the newspaper in January that he had no role in Kushner's receiving his clearance.

Asked about the report, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "We don’t comment on security clearances."

Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell, said in an email that White House and security clearance officials last year asserted that Kushner's clearance was "handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone."

"New stories, if accurate, do not change what was affirmed at the time," Mirijanian said.

The US President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

The US President Donald Trump ordered his chief of staff in May to grant his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance, the New York Times reported on Thursday. It said senior administration officials were troubled by the decision, which prompted then-White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to write an internal memo about how he had been ordered to give Kushner the top-secret clearance. The White House counsel at the time, Donald McGahn, also wrote an internal memo outlining concerns raised about Kushner and how McGahn had recommended against the decision, it said. The Times said the memos contradicted a statement made by Trump in an interview with the newspaper in January that he had no role in Kushner's receiving his clearance. Asked about the report, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "We don’t comment on security clearances." Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner's attorney Abbe Lowell, said in an email that White House and security clearance officials last year asserted that Kushner's clearance was "handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone." "New stories, if accurate, do not change what was affirmed at the time," Mirijanian said.

Trump ordered aide to give Kushner security clearance: Report

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-going-to-open-up-whole-country-they-want-to-please-me-trump-183898">Donald Trump</a>'s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is on the short-list of potential candidates for the president's next chief of staff, US media said Thursday.

Kushner, an influential White House adviser and husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka, met with the Republican leader to discuss the job, according to the Huffington Post, which first reported the story.

"I am not aware that he is under consideration but, as I think all of us here would recognize, he would be great in any role that the president chooses to put him in," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the news, which was also reported by CBS.

The president has been searching in vain for a new chief of staff after announcing that John Kelly, a retired general he had reportedly fallen out with, was to leave by the end of the year.

Nick Ayres, the 36-year-old chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, had been touted as favourite to get the job, but announced he was taking himself out of the running, dealing a blow to the president.&nbsp;

Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican who heads the hard-right Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives, showed more interest -- but also ultimately withdrew his candidacy.

Kushner was a key player in negotiations with Canada and Mexico to preserve a free trade pact between the North American countries.

He has also led efforts to draft a Middle East peace plan that the Trump administration said it will unveil in early 2019.

The 37-year-old has also cultivated close ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of playing a role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a case that has rattled the kingdom's ties with the West.

The news is sure to set off warnings of nepotism, however, especially considering that Kushner had no prior experience in government before Trump's election.

Like his father-in-law, he left New York real estate to become one of Washington's most powerful political players.

Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is on the short-list of potential candidates for the president's next chief of staff, US media said Thursday.

Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner is on the short-list of potential candidates for the president's next chief of staff, US media said Thursday. Kushner, an influential White House adviser and husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka, met with the Republican leader to discuss the job, according to the Huffington Post, which first reported the story. "I am not aware that he is under consideration but, as I think all of us here would recognize, he would be great in any role that the president chooses to put him in," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said of the news, which was also reported by CBS. The president has been searching in vain for a new chief of staff after announcing that John Kelly, a retired general he had reportedly fallen out with, was to leave by the end of the year. Nick Ayres, the 36-year-old chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, had been touted as favourite to get the job, but announced he was taking himself out of the running, dealing a blow to the president. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican who heads the hard-right Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives, showed more interest -- but also ultimately withdrew his candidacy. Kushner was a key player in negotiations with Canada and Mexico to preserve a free trade pact between the North American countries. He has also led efforts to draft a Middle East peace plan that the Trump administration said it will unveil in early 2019. The 37-year-old has also cultivated close ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of playing a role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a case that has rattled the kingdom's ties with the West. The news is sure to set off warnings of nepotism, however, especially considering that Kushner had no prior experience in government before Trump's election. Like his father-in-law, he left New York real estate to become one of Washington's most powerful political players.

Trump's son-in-law, senior adviser Kushner possible next chief of staff: Report

Jared Kushner, the White House senior adviser on the Middle East, has no previous experience in politics. He, however, now sits in the closest room to the oval office.

Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, married Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka in 2009.

He was born in January 1981 (he's 37) ago to a wealthy Jewish family in the real estate business. His grandparents were Holocaust survivors.&nbsp;

His father, Charles Kushner's family enterprise owns scores of apartments and skyscrapers worth billions all over the States, but mostly in New York.

After finishing his studies at a modern orthodox Jewish school, Jared — an average student with average marks — made it to the prestigious University of Harvard. (In his book “Price of Admissions”,&nbsp; the American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Golden pointed out that the Kushner family made a $ 2.5 billion donation to the university at the time of Jared's admission.)

The young Kushner was an ambitious man and during his studies, he started selling and buying properties worth millions of US dollars. In 2006 he acquired the New York Observer, a weekly New York city newspaper. Despite no prior experience and turbulent relations with several editors-in-chief, he increased the publication’s profits.

Before getting to the White House, Kushner was a Democrat. He donated to the party and endorsed Obama’s race from his newspaper’s columns.&nbsp;

Things changed when his father-in-law said he was running for president in 2015, Jared Kushner decided to get on board. He led the campaign’s social media team which greatly contributed to Donald Trump’s success.&nbsp;Kushner had the US president’s ear since the very beginning and was appointed assistant to the president and senior adviser shortly after Trump’s swearing-in. The people who stood in his way were ousted from the White House.

A Saudi delegation visiting the newly elected president, identified in Kushner the key to get Riyadh’s relation with Washington back on track after the difficult times under the Obama administration.

It was in this framework that Jared Kushner befriended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.&nbsp;

Life has not been easy in the American political arena for Jared Kushner. His name was at the centre of the investigation on the Russian meddling in the US elections. He met Russian officials several times during the campaign and&nbsp;even omitted informing the committee deciding on his security clearance to access secreted files.

But he survived and is now working on one of the hardest assignment any American diplomat would have: finding a stable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.&nbsp;

Together with Trump’s chief international negotiator Jason Greenblatt and an ever-expanding dedicated team, Kushner is carving the so-called 'deal of the century’ which would end decades of hostilities between Israel and Palestine.

Jared Kushner sees himself as a businessman and a deal maker and believes that history can be put aside. He is convinced that through economic measures and benefits, Palestinians will ultimately digest whatever deal the US propose.

Israel could not find a better ally, but Palestinians have made it clear that they do not intend to discuss any plans proposed by this administration.

Tens of seasoned negotiators and politicians from all over the world and all walks of life have not found a way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades.&nbsp;

To think Jared Kushner could succeed where they have failed seems far-fetched, but he has proven to be capable of surprising everyone.

Jared Kushner, the White House senior adviser on the Middle East, has no previous experience in politics. He, however, now sits in the closest room to the oval office.

Jared Kushner, the White House senior adviser on the Middle East, has no previous experience in politics. He, however, now sits in the closest room to the oval office. Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law, married Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka in 2009. He was born in January 1981 (he's 37) ago to a wealthy Jewish family in the real estate business. His grandparents were Holocaust survivors. His father, Charles Kushner's family enterprise owns scores of apartments and skyscrapers worth billions all over the States, but mostly in New York. After finishing his studies at a modern orthodox Jewish school, Jared — an average student with average marks — made it to the prestigious University of Harvard. (In his book “Price of Admissions”, the American journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Golden pointed out that the Kushner family made a $ 2.5 billion donation to the university at the time of Jared's admission.) The young Kushner was an ambitious man and during his studies, he started selling and buying properties worth millions of US dollars. In 2006 he acquired the New York Observer, a weekly New York city newspaper. Despite no prior experience and turbulent relations with several editors-in-chief, he increased the publication’s profits. Before getting to the White House, Kushner was a Democrat. He donated to the party and endorsed Obama’s race from his newspaper’s columns. Things changed when his father-in-law said he was running for president in 2015, Jared Kushner decided to get on board. He led the campaign’s social media team which greatly contributed to Donald Trump’s success. Kushner had the US president’s ear since the very beginning and was appointed assistant to the president and senior adviser shortly after Trump’s swearing-in. The people who stood in his way were ousted from the White House. A Saudi delegation visiting the newly elected president, identified in Kushner the key to get Riyadh’s relation with Washington back on track after the difficult times under the Obama administration. It was in this framework that Jared Kushner befriended Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Life has not been easy in the American political arena for Jared Kushner. His name was at the centre of the investigation on the Russian meddling in the US elections. He met Russian officials several times during the campaign and even omitted informing the committee deciding on his security clearance to access secreted files. But he survived and is now working on one of the hardest assignment any American diplomat would have: finding a stable solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Together with Trump’s chief international negotiator Jason Greenblatt and an ever-expanding dedicated team, Kushner is carving the so-called 'deal of the century’ which would end decades of hostilities between Israel and Palestine. Jared Kushner sees himself as a businessman and a deal maker and believes that history can be put aside. He is convinced that through economic measures and benefits, Palestinians will ultimately digest whatever deal the US propose. Israel could not find a better ally, but Palestinians have made it clear that they do not intend to discuss any plans proposed by this administration. Tens of seasoned negotiators and politicians from all over the world and all walks of life have not found a way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades. To think Jared Kushner could succeed where they have failed seems far-fetched, but he has proven to be capable of surprising everyone.

Trump's son-in-law's quick journey to the White House

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner continued to have private conversations with Saudi Crown Prince <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-crown-prince-was-in-constant-touch-with-khashoggi-kill-team-wsj-181054">Mohammed bin Salman</a>&nbsp;and advised him on how to deal with the aftermath of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/we-do-not-extradite-our-citizens-saudi-arabia-on-khashoggi-murder-182785">brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi</a> by Saudi operatives, a US media report has said.

Kushner offered the crown prince advice "about how to weather the storm" following the killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the New York Times reported, citing a Saudi source familiar with the conversations.

Since the early months of the Trump administration, Kushner, the president's Middle East adviser, was in private and informal contact with Prince Mohammed, which was a cause of worry for senior American officials, the report said.

Given Kushner's political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former senior US officials.

In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new chief of staff tried to reimpose longstanding procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders.

But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner, 37, and Prince Mohammed, 33, kept chatting, according to three former White House officials and two others briefed by the Saudi royal court. In fact, they said, the two men were on first-name terms, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls.

The exchanges continued even after the October 2 killing of Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents, according to two former senior American officials and the two people briefed by the Saudis.

As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and American intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the prince's most important defender inside the White House, people familiar with its internal deliberations say.

Kushner's support for Prince Mohammed in the moment of crisis is a striking demonstration of a singular bond that has helped draw President Trump into an embrace of Saudi Arabia as one of his most important international allies.

But the ties between Kushner and Prince Mohammed did not happen on their own. The prince and his advisers, eager to enlist American support for his hawkish policies in the region and for his own consolidation of power, cultivated the relationship with Kushner for more than two years, according to documents, emails and text messages reviewed by NYT.

A delegation of Saudis close to the prince visited the US as early as the month Trump was elected, the documents show and brought back a report identifying Kushner as a crucial focal point in the courtship of the new administration. He brought to the job scant knowledge about the region, a transactional mindset and an intense focus on reaching a deal with the Palestinians that met Israel's demands, the delegation noted.

Even then, before the inauguration, the Saudis were trying to position themselves as essential allies who could help the Trump administration fulfil its campaign pledges.

In addition to offering to help resolve the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, the Saudis offered hundreds of billions of dollars in deals to buy American weapons and invest in American infrastructure.

Trump later announced versions of some of these items with great fanfare when he made his first foreign trip: to an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The Saudis had extended that invitation during the delegation's November 2016 visit.

"The inner circle is predominantly deal makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner," the Saudi delegation wrote of the incoming administration in a slide presentation obtained by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which provided it to NYT.

Several Americans who spoke with the delegation confirmed the slide presentation's accounts of the discussions.

The courtship of Kushner appears to have worked.

Only a few months after Trump moved into the White House, Kushner was inquiring about the Saudi royal succession process and whether the US could influence it, raising fears among senior officials that he sought to help Prince Mohammed, who was not yet the crown prince, vault ahead in the line for the throne, two former senior White House officials said.

American diplomats and intelligence officials feared that the Trump administration might be seen as playing favourites in the delicate internal politics of the Saudi royal family, the officials said.

By March, Kushner helped usher Prince Mohammed into a formal lunch with Trump in a state dining room at the White House, capitalising on the last minute cancellation by German Chancellor Angela Merkel because of a snowstorm.

Bending protocol, Kushner arranged for the prince, often referred to by his initials as MBS, to receive the kind of treatment usually reserved for heads of state, with photographs and news media coverage, according to a person involved in the arrangements.

It appears to have been the first face-to-face meeting between Kushner and the prince, but Kushner raised eyebrows by telling others in the White House that he and Prince Mohammed had already spoken several times before, two people at the event recalled.

White House officials declined to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with the prince since the killing of Khashoggi.

Their connection, though, has been pivotal since the start of the Trump administration.

"The relationship between Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman constitutes the foundation of the Trump policy not just toward Saudi Arabia but toward the region," said Martin Indyk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Middle East envoy.

The administration's reliance on the Saudis in the peace process, its support for the kingdom's feud with Qatar, an American ally, and its backing of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, he said, all grew out of "that bromance".&nbsp;

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner continued to have private conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and advised him on how to deal with the aftermath of the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives, a US media report has said.

President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner continued to have private conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and advised him on how to deal with the aftermath of the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi operatives, a US media report has said. Kushner offered the crown prince advice "about how to weather the storm" following the killing of Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the New York Times reported, citing a Saudi source familiar with the conversations. Since the early months of the Trump administration, Kushner, the president's Middle East adviser, was in private and informal contact with Prince Mohammed, which was a cause of worry for senior American officials, the report said. Given Kushner's political inexperience, the private exchanges could make him susceptible to Saudi manipulation, said three former senior US officials. In an effort to tighten practices at the White House, a new chief of staff tried to reimpose longstanding procedures stipulating that National Security Council staff members should participate in all calls with foreign leaders. But even with the restrictions in place, Kushner, 37, and Prince Mohammed, 33, kept chatting, according to three former White House officials and two others briefed by the Saudi royal court. In fact, they said, the two men were on first-name terms, calling each other Jared and Mohammed in text messages and phone calls. The exchanges continued even after the October 2 killing of Khashoggi, the Saudi journalist who was ambushed and dismembered by Saudi agents, according to two former senior American officials and the two people briefed by the Saudis. As the killing set off a firestorm around the world and American intelligence agencies concluded that it was ordered by Prince Mohammed, Kushner became the prince's most important defender inside the White House, people familiar with its internal deliberations say. Kushner's support for Prince Mohammed in the moment of crisis is a striking demonstration of a singular bond that has helped draw President Trump into an embrace of Saudi Arabia as one of his most important international allies. But the ties between Kushner and Prince Mohammed did not happen on their own. The prince and his advisers, eager to enlist American support for his hawkish policies in the region and for his own consolidation of power, cultivated the relationship with Kushner for more than two years, according to documents, emails and text messages reviewed by NYT. A delegation of Saudis close to the prince visited the US as early as the month Trump was elected, the documents show and brought back a report identifying Kushner as a crucial focal point in the courtship of the new administration. He brought to the job scant knowledge about the region, a transactional mindset and an intense focus on reaching a deal with the Palestinians that met Israel's demands, the delegation noted. Even then, before the inauguration, the Saudis were trying to position themselves as essential allies who could help the Trump administration fulfil its campaign pledges. In addition to offering to help resolve the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, the Saudis offered hundreds of billions of dollars in deals to buy American weapons and invest in American infrastructure. Trump later announced versions of some of these items with great fanfare when he made his first foreign trip: to an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The Saudis had extended that invitation during the delegation's November 2016 visit. "The inner circle is predominantly deal makers who lack familiarity with political customs and deep institutions, and they support Jared Kushner," the Saudi delegation wrote of the incoming administration in a slide presentation obtained by the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, which provided it to NYT. Several Americans who spoke with the delegation confirmed the slide presentation's accounts of the discussions. The courtship of Kushner appears to have worked. Only a few months after Trump moved into the White House, Kushner was inquiring about the Saudi royal succession process and whether the US could influence it, raising fears among senior officials that he sought to help Prince Mohammed, who was not yet the crown prince, vault ahead in the line for the throne, two former senior White House officials said. American diplomats and intelligence officials feared that the Trump administration might be seen as playing favourites in the delicate internal politics of the Saudi royal family, the officials said. By March, Kushner helped usher Prince Mohammed into a formal lunch with Trump in a state dining room at the White House, capitalising on the last minute cancellation by German Chancellor Angela Merkel because of a snowstorm. Bending protocol, Kushner arranged for the prince, often referred to by his initials as MBS, to receive the kind of treatment usually reserved for heads of state, with photographs and news media coverage, according to a person involved in the arrangements. It appears to have been the first face-to-face meeting between Kushner and the prince, but Kushner raised eyebrows by telling others in the White House that he and Prince Mohammed had already spoken several times before, two people at the event recalled. White House officials declined to comment on Kushner's one-on-one communications with the prince since the killing of Khashoggi. Their connection, though, has been pivotal since the start of the Trump administration. "The relationship between Jared Kushner and Mohammed bin Salman constitutes the foundation of the Trump policy not just toward Saudi Arabia but toward the region," said Martin Indyk, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Middle East envoy. The administration's reliance on the Saudis in the peace process, its support for the kingdom's feud with Qatar, an American ally, and its backing of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, he said, all grew out of "that bromance".

Kushner advised Saudi crown prince on 'how to weather the storm' after Khashoggi murder: NYT

Six days after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, US President Donald Trump tried to play down the crisis, saying "hopefully that will sort itself out".

It did not, and on October 10, amid a growing outcry, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton pressed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, in what one US official described as a "stern" phone call, to identify who was responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance or death.

Trump then seemed to give Saudi Arabia the benefit of the doubt, suggesting "rogue killers" may have been to blame and criticizing a growing view that this was a case of state murder.

He changed his tone once again late this week, raising the prospect of sanctions against Riyadh.

But when Saudi Arabia finally admitted on Saturday that Khashoggi was dead, saying he was killed in a fight inside the consulate, Trump said the official explanation was "credible" even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers responded with anger and disbelief.

Over the last two weeks, Trump has at times spoken of punishing Saudi Arabia but appeared reluctant to follow through against a close economic and security ally in the Middle East, a key player in ensuring the stability of global oil markets, and a major customer of arms deals that he says are "tremendous".

"Trump's dug himself into a hole," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East adviser to both Democratic and Republican administrations. "He will have to take some kind of action."

Behind the scenes, though, Trump's aides scrambled to craft a response, especially as the bipartisan outcry in the Washington establishment grew.

When news of Khashoggi's disappearance first broke, aides made clear to White House chief of staff John Kelly that the case was not going away, two senior White House officials said.

Kushner, who had cultivated a close personal relationship with the crown prince, commonly known as MbS, urged Trump to act with caution to avoid upsetting a critical strategic and economic relationship, a senior administration official said.

Kushner was heavily involved in making Saudi Arabia Trump's first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year.

As grim allegations emerged from Turkey about Khashoggi’s death and the Saudis stuck to their denials, Trump felt pressure from congressional Democrats and some of his own Republicans.

US&nbsp;Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump, accused MbS of ordering Khashoggi's murder and called him a "wrecking ball" jeopardizing relations with the United States.

When Riyadh came out with its official version of what happened inside the consulate, Graham quickly tweeted he was "skeptical of the new Saudi narrative".

'Not a US citizen'

Trump sought to justify his muted response by pointing out the incident occurred in Turkey and that Khashoggi, a US&nbsp;resident and columnist for the Washington Post, was "not a United States citizen".

Critics accused Trump of trying to give the Saudis diplomatic cover and buy time for them to get their story straight, something Trump's aides denied.

At the same time, Peter Navarro, Trump’s White House trade chief and architect of his “Buy American” policy to ease restrictions on foreign arms sales, was stressing the importance of Saudi weapons deals and the implications for US&nbsp;jobs, another administration official told Reuters.

Trump repeatedly touted the $110 billion in weapons deals he announced during his visit to Saudi Arabia last year, and insisted around 500,000 US&nbsp;jobs were at stake. Experts have dismissed the sales and jobs numbers as highly exaggerated.

Some Trump aides raised doubts about the veracity of the Turkish government’s leaks of what it says happened to Khashoggi.

But as the days dragged on and evidence of Khashoggi’s death mounted, Trump's view began to shift, White House officials said.

He ordered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to drop what he was doing and fly to Riyadh for talks at mid-week, and was then briefed by him at the White House on Thursday.

Critics slammed Pompeo for appearing to hold court in a festive manner with MbS, undercutting the severity of the US&nbsp;message.

But one senior White House official countered, saying Pompeo told the Saudi royals that “you need to give us some legitimate information soon, people aren’t just going to let it drag on.'”

Speaking to reporters during a trip to Arizona on Friday, Trump said he was ready to “listen to what Congress has to say” about actions to be taken in the Khashoggi case, yet also made clear he wanted to continue to protect defense contracts, and U.S. jobs dependent on them.

Congress has already triggered a mechanism for the U.S. Treasury Department to consider human rights sanctions against Saudi Arabia and some lawmakers have vowed to block further arms sales to Riyadh, a move that Trump is likely to oppose.

Six days after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, US President Donald Trump tried to play down the crisis, saying "hopefully that will sort itself out".

Six days after Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared, US President Donald Trump tried to play down the crisis, saying "hopefully that will sort itself out". It did not, and on October 10, amid a growing outcry, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and national security adviser John Bolton pressed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, in what one US official described as a "stern" phone call, to identify who was responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance or death. Trump then seemed to give Saudi Arabia the benefit of the doubt, suggesting "rogue killers" may have been to blame and criticizing a growing view that this was a case of state murder. He changed his tone once again late this week, raising the prospect of sanctions against Riyadh. But when Saudi Arabia finally admitted on Saturday that Khashoggi was dead, saying he was killed in a fight inside the consulate, Trump said the official explanation was "credible" even as Republican and Democratic lawmakers responded with anger and disbelief. Over the last two weeks, Trump has at times spoken of punishing Saudi Arabia but appeared reluctant to follow through against a close economic and security ally in the Middle East, a key player in ensuring the stability of global oil markets, and a major customer of arms deals that he says are "tremendous". "Trump's dug himself into a hole," said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East adviser to both Democratic and Republican administrations. "He will have to take some kind of action." Behind the scenes, though, Trump's aides scrambled to craft a response, especially as the bipartisan outcry in the Washington establishment grew. When news of Khashoggi's disappearance first broke, aides made clear to White House chief of staff John Kelly that the case was not going away, two senior White House officials said. Kushner, who had cultivated a close personal relationship with the crown prince, commonly known as MbS, urged Trump to act with caution to avoid upsetting a critical strategic and economic relationship, a senior administration official said. Kushner was heavily involved in making Saudi Arabia Trump's first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year. As grim allegations emerged from Turkey about Khashoggi’s death and the Saudis stuck to their denials, Trump felt pressure from congressional Democrats and some of his own Republicans. US Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Trump, accused MbS of ordering Khashoggi's murder and called him a "wrecking ball" jeopardizing relations with the United States. When Riyadh came out with its official version of what happened inside the consulate, Graham quickly tweeted he was "skeptical of the new Saudi narrative". 'Not a US citizen' Trump sought to justify his muted response by pointing out the incident occurred in Turkey and that Khashoggi, a US resident and columnist for the Washington Post, was "not a United States citizen". Critics accused Trump of trying to give the Saudis diplomatic cover and buy time for them to get their story straight, something Trump's aides denied. At the same time, Peter Navarro, Trump’s White House trade chief and architect of his “Buy American” policy to ease restrictions on foreign arms sales, was stressing the importance of Saudi weapons deals and the implications for US jobs, another administration official told Reuters. Trump repeatedly touted the $110 billion in weapons deals he announced during his visit to Saudi Arabia last year, and insisted around 500,000 US jobs were at stake. Experts have dismissed the sales and jobs numbers as highly exaggerated. Some Trump aides raised doubts about the veracity of the Turkish government’s leaks of what it says happened to Khashoggi. But as the days dragged on and evidence of Khashoggi’s death mounted, Trump's view began to shift, White House officials said. He ordered Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to drop what he was doing and fly to Riyadh for talks at mid-week, and was then briefed by him at the White House on Thursday. Critics slammed Pompeo for appearing to hold court in a festive manner with MbS, undercutting the severity of the US message. But one senior White House official countered, saying Pompeo told the Saudi royals that “you need to give us some legitimate information soon, people aren’t just going to let it drag on.'” Speaking to reporters during a trip to Arizona on Friday, Trump said he was ready to “listen to what Congress has to say” about actions to be taken in the Khashoggi case, yet also made clear he wanted to continue to protect defense contracts, and U.S. jobs dependent on them. Congress has already triggered a mechanism for the U.S. Treasury Department to consider human rights sanctions against Saudi Arabia and some lawmakers have vowed to block further arms sales to Riyadh, a move that Trump is likely to oppose.

Trump a reluctant critic of Saudi Arabia despite pressure to act

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents.

The documents were created with Kushner's cooperation as part of a review of his finances by an institution that was considering lending him money, the Times reported. The Times said that Kushner's tax bills reflected the use of a tax benefit known as depreciation that lets real estate investors deduct part of the cost of their properties from their taxable income.

The Times report said that nothing in the documents reviewed "suggests Mr. Kushner or his company broke the law."

Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner’s lawyer Abbe Lowell, told Reuters on Saturday that he would not respond to the newspaper's assumptions, which he said were "taken from incomplete documents obtained in violation of the law and standard business confidentiality agreements."

He added, "Always following the advice of numerous attorneys and accountants, Mr. Kushner properly filed and paid all taxes due under the law and regulations."

The records reviewed by The New York Times did not expressly state how much Kushner paid in taxes, but included estimates for how much he owed called “income taxes payable” — and how much Kushner paid in expectation of forecasted taxes known as “prepaid taxes." The paper said that for most of the years covered, both were listed as zero, but in 2013 Kushner reported income taxes payable of $1.1 million.

Kushner Cos, the family company for which Kushner previously served as chief executive, has been profitable in recent years, the Times said, citing the analysis. Kushner sold his interests in the company to a family trust last year.

The White House and Kushner Cos did not immediately comment Saturday.

The newspaper noted that the 2017 tax rewrite signed by Trump includes provisions that benefit real estate investors.

Mirijanian said that on tax reform efforts, Kushner "followed his approved ethics agreement and has avoided work that would pose any conflict of interest."

In December, a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote to Kushner, asking whether in his talks with foreign officials he had ever discussed financing for a deeply indebted property in midtown Manhattan, citing concern he was using his position for financial gain.

Kushner Cos said previously it had more than $2.5 billion in transactions 2017 and has 12 million square feet under development in New York and New Jersey.

Documents released by the White House in June showed Kushner held assets worth at least $181 million, the Associated Press reported. The disclosures also show that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, received at least $82 million in outside income in 2017.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents.

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, likely paid little or no federal income taxes between 2009 and 2016, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing confidential financial documents. The documents were created with Kushner's cooperation as part of a review of his finances by an institution that was considering lending him money, the Times reported. The Times said that Kushner's tax bills reflected the use of a tax benefit known as depreciation that lets real estate investors deduct part of the cost of their properties from their taxable income. The Times report said that nothing in the documents reviewed "suggests Mr. Kushner or his company broke the law." Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Kushner’s lawyer Abbe Lowell, told Reuters on Saturday that he would not respond to the newspaper's assumptions, which he said were "taken from incomplete documents obtained in violation of the law and standard business confidentiality agreements." He added, "Always following the advice of numerous attorneys and accountants, Mr. Kushner properly filed and paid all taxes due under the law and regulations." The records reviewed by The New York Times did not expressly state how much Kushner paid in taxes, but included estimates for how much he owed called “income taxes payable” — and how much Kushner paid in expectation of forecasted taxes known as “prepaid taxes." The paper said that for most of the years covered, both were listed as zero, but in 2013 Kushner reported income taxes payable of $1.1 million. Kushner Cos, the family company for which Kushner previously served as chief executive, has been profitable in recent years, the Times said, citing the analysis. Kushner sold his interests in the company to a family trust last year. The White House and Kushner Cos did not immediately comment Saturday. The newspaper noted that the 2017 tax rewrite signed by Trump includes provisions that benefit real estate investors. Mirijanian said that on tax reform efforts, Kushner "followed his approved ethics agreement and has avoided work that would pose any conflict of interest." In December, a group of Democratic lawmakers wrote to Kushner, asking whether in his talks with foreign officials he had ever discussed financing for a deeply indebted property in midtown Manhattan, citing concern he was using his position for financial gain. Kushner Cos said previously it had more than $2.5 billion in transactions 2017 and has 12 million square feet under development in New York and New Jersey. Documents released by the White House in June showed Kushner held assets worth at least $181 million, the Associated Press reported. The disclosures also show that Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, received at least $82 million in outside income in 2017.

Jared Kushner 'likely' paid little or no income taxes for years: NYT

Turkey has ordered the Israeli consul general in Istanbul to return to Israel "for some time", a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday, in a diplomatic spat which follows the killings of 60 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces.

Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of the Israeli use of deadly force against protesters at the Gaza border and of the US decision to open its new embassy in a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

President Tayyip Erdogan described Monday's bloodshed, the deadliest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict, as genocide and called Israel a terrorist state.&nbsp;

The government declared three days of mourning.

Turkey has expelled Israel's ambassador and recalled its ambassadors from Tel Aviv and Washington.&nbsp;

It has called for an emergency meeting of Islamic nations on Friday.

Israel expelled the Turkish consul-general in Jerusalem, and Erdogan exchanged heated words on Twitter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said the Turkish Consul-General in Jerusalem had been summoned and told to return to Turkey "for consultations for a period of time."

The dispute appears to mark the worst diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers since Israeli marines stormed an aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists and prompting a downgrade in diplomatic ties that lasted until 2016.

President Tayyip Erdogan described Monday's bloodshed, the deadliest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict, as genocide and called Israel a terrorist state

Turkey has ordered the Israeli consul general in Istanbul to return to Israel "for some time", a Turkish Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday, in a diplomatic spat which follows the killings of 60 Palestinian protesters by Israeli forces. Turkey has been among the most vocal critics of the Israeli use of deadly force against protesters at the Gaza border and of the US decision to open its new embassy in a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. President Tayyip Erdogan described Monday's bloodshed, the deadliest for Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza conflict, as genocide and called Israel a terrorist state. The government declared three days of mourning. Turkey has expelled Israel's ambassador and recalled its ambassadors from Tel Aviv and Washington. It has called for an emergency meeting of Islamic nations on Friday. Israel expelled the Turkish consul-general in Jerusalem, and Erdogan exchanged heated words on Twitter with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel's Foreign Ministry said the Turkish Consul-General in Jerusalem had been summoned and told to return to Turkey "for consultations for a period of time." The dispute appears to mark the worst diplomatic crisis between the two regional powers since Israeli marines stormed an aid ship to enforce a naval blockade of Gaza in 2010, killing 10 Turkish activists and prompting a downgrade in diplomatic ties that lasted until 2016.

Turkey expels Israeli consul in spat over Gaza violence

US today officially opened&nbsp;its&nbsp;embassy in Jerusalem even as Palestinians continued to protest in Gaza.

The ceremony attended by President Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner takes places amid large-scale violence in Gaza were two Palestinians have reportedly been killed.

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Watch LIVE the dedication of <a href="https://twitter.com/usembassyjlm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usembassyjlm</a>: <a href="https://t.co/KVhxC50Ywe">https://t.co/KVhxC50Ywe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USEmbassyJerusalem?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USEmbassyJerusalem</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/996012453195649024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The US government has made large-scale security arrangements with over 1,000 security men posted around the complex.

US ambassador to Israel David Friedman was given a standing ovation when he mentioned President Trump's name.

Friedman referred to the embassy's location as "Jerusalem, Israel" as the crowd cheered.

The US move comes after President Trump on December 6th had recognised&nbsp;Jerusalem as Israel's capital and decided to move the embassy to the holy city.&nbsp;

In Gaza, at least thirty-seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces as the US opened its embassy in Jerusalem.

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This is a great day for Israel. It’s a great day for America. It’s a great day for our fantastic partnership. But I believe it’s also a great day for peace. I want to thank Jared, Jason and David for your tireless efforts to advance peace and to advance the truth. <a href="https://t.co/Yg021Eth48">pic.twitter.com/Yg021Eth48</a>
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/996085036154871809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Thank you. Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> Trump, for having the courage to keep your promises. 
 
Thank you, President Trump, and thank you all, for making the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever! <a href="https://t.co/HmFBBdlkva">pic.twitter.com/HmFBBdlkva</a>
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraeliPM/status/996084024878739456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan addressed the gathering as officials cheered

US today officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem even as Palestinians continued to protest in Gaza. The ceremony attended by President Trump's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner takes places amid large-scale violence in Gaza were two Palestinians have reportedly been killed. Watch LIVE the dedication of @usembassyjlm: https://t.co/KVhxC50Ywe #USEmbassyJerusalem — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 14, 2018 × The US government has made large-scale security arrangements with over 1,000 security men posted around the complex. US ambassador to Israel David Friedman was given a standing ovation when he mentioned President Trump's name. Friedman referred to the embassy's location as "Jerusalem, Israel" as the crowd cheered. The US move comes after President Trump on December 6th had recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and decided to move the embassy to the holy city. In Gaza, at least thirty-seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces as the US opened its embassy in Jerusalem. This is a great day for Israel. It’s a great day for America. It’s a great day for our fantastic partnership. But I believe it’s also a great day for peace. I want to thank Jared, Jason and David for your tireless efforts to advance peace and to advance the truth. pic.twitter.com/Yg021Eth48 — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 14, 2018 × Thank you. Thank you, @POTUS Trump, for having the courage to keep your promises. Thank you, President Trump, and thank you all, for making the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever! pic.twitter.com/HmFBBdlkva — PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) May 14, 2018 ×

US opens embassy in Jerusalem amid violence in Gaza

US envoy to the Middle East and Trump's senior advisor on the region, Jared Kushner, in his speech at the embassy inauguration ceremony today, noted that the move shows that the entire world can trust the United States.

"Jerusalem must remain a city that brings people of all faiths together," noted Kushner.

"When President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it," Kushner said at the embassy's opening ceremony.&nbsp;

"Today also demonstrates American leadership. By moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted," he said.

"We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else, we've shown that the United States of America will do what's right," Kushner noted.

US President Donald Trump, in a recorded message, reiterated United States' commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

"Our greatest hope is for peace," said Trump. "The United States remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement," he noted.

"The United States will always be a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace," Trump stated.

Meanwhile, violent protests erupted along the Gaza Strip's border ahead of the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on Monday.

As many as 43 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israeli forces as angry protesters demonstrated at the frontier.

United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem a short while ago in a festive ceremony which was attended by Ivanka Trump, advisor to US President Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner.

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Meanwhile, violent protests erupted along the Gaza Strip's border ahead of the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on Monday

US envoy to the Middle East and Trump's senior advisor on the region, Jared Kushner, in his speech at the embassy inauguration ceremony today, noted that the move shows that the entire world can trust the United States. "Jerusalem must remain a city that brings people of all faiths together," noted Kushner. "When President Trump makes a promise, he keeps it," Kushner said at the embassy's opening ceremony. "Today also demonstrates American leadership. By moving our embassy to Jerusalem, we have shown the world once again that the United States can be trusted," he said. "We stand with our friends and our allies, and above all else, we've shown that the United States of America will do what's right," Kushner noted. US President Donald Trump, in a recorded message, reiterated United States' commitment to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "Our greatest hope is for peace," said Trump. "The United States remains fully committed to facilitating a lasting peace agreement," he noted. "The United States will always be a great friend of Israel and a partner in the cause of freedom and peace," Trump stated. Meanwhile, violent protests erupted along the Gaza Strip's border ahead of the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on Monday. As many as 43 Palestinians have been killed so far by Israeli forces as angry protesters demonstrated at the frontier. United States opened its embassy in Jerusalem a short while ago in a festive ceremony which was attended by Ivanka Trump, advisor to US President Trump, and her husband Jared Kushner. (With inputs from Reuters)

We've shown that US will do what's right: Jared Kushner in Jerusalem 

US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, his wife, White House adviser Ivanka Trump and US. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, arrived in Israel along with a US&nbsppresidential delegation on Sunday to attend the official opening ceremony of the US&nbspembassy in Jerusalem.

A small interim embassy will open inside an existing American consulate building in Jerusalem on Monday, the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding. A larger site will be found later when the rest of the embassy relocates from Tel Aviv.

The embassy move was driven by President Donald Trump, and comes less than six months after his decision last year to break with decades of US&nbsppolicy and recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Trump says his Jerusalem decisions, which break with decades of American policy, make good on US&nbsplegislation and presidential pledges dating back decades.

They were greeted with delight by Israel's government, which said it recognises the "reality" of the Jewish people's historic connection to the city.

But it infuriated Palestinians, whose president, Mahmoud Abbas, called it a "slap in the face" and said Washington could no longer be regarded as an honest broker in any peace talks with Israel.

A small interim embassy will open inside an existing American consulate building in Jerusalem on Monday

US President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, his wife, White House adviser Ivanka Trump and US. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, arrived in Israel along with a US&nbsppresidential delegation on Sunday to attend the official opening ceremony of the US&nbspembassy in Jerusalem. A small interim embassy will open inside an existing American consulate building in Jerusalem on Monday, the 70th anniversary of Israel's founding. A larger site will be found later when the rest of the embassy relocates from Tel Aviv. The embassy move was driven by President Donald Trump, and comes less than six months after his decision last year to break with decades of US&nbsppolicy and recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Trump says his Jerusalem decisions, which break with decades of American policy, make good on US&nbsplegislation and presidential pledges dating back decades. They were greeted with delight by Israel's government, which said it recognises the "reality" of the Jewish people's historic connection to the city. But it infuriated Palestinians, whose president, Mahmoud Abbas, called it a "slap in the face" and said Washington could no longer be regarded as an honest broker in any peace talks with Israel.

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arrive in Israel ahead of embassy move

Federal investigators are looking into whether Jared Kushner`s business talks with foreigners, as his father-in-law Donald Trump assumed the U.S. presidency, later influenced White House policy, NBC News reported on Friday.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked witnesses about Kushner`s attempts to secure financing for his family`s real estate ventures, focusing specifically on his talks with people from Qatar and Turkey, as well as Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates, NBC News said.

NBC cited unnamed people familiar with Mueller`s investigation, as well as witnesses who have been interviewed by Mueller`s team. The special counsel is looking at Russia`s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether there was any collusion with the Trump campaign.

A spokesman for Mueller`s office, Peter Carr, declined to comment on the report. A spokesman for Kushner attorney Abbe Lowell said the report was the &quot;mischief&quot; of unnamed sources conducting a &quot;misinformation campaign&quot; to mislead the news media.

&quot;Mr. Kushner`s role in the campaign and transition was to be a point person for completely appropriate contacts from foreign officials and he did not mix his or his former company`s business in those contacts,&quot; the spokesman, Peter Mirijanian, said in a statement. &quot;Any claim otherwise is false.&quot;

Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has said there was no collusion.

Federal investigators have reached out to Turkish nationals for information on Kushner through the Federal Bureau of Investigation`s legal attache office in Ankara, NBC News said.

Qatari government officials who visited the United States earlier this year considered turning over information to Mueller that they believed demonstrated their neighbours in the Gulf were coordinating with Kushner to hurt Qatar, NBC

News said, citing four people familiar with the matter.

The Qatari officials decided against cooperating with Mueller for now out of fear it would further strain the country`s relations with the White House, the individuals told NBC News.

The Qatari embassy in Washington rejected the assertions, saying in a statement late Friday that its government &ldquo;has not been approached nor has it had any contact with the Special Counsel&rsquo;s Office on any matters.&quot;&nbsp;

Kushner`s family business, Kushner Companies, approached Qatar several times, including last spring, about investing in its troubled flagship property at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York, but Qatar`s sovereign wealth fund declined,

NBC News said, citing two sources familiar with the discussion.

Muller`s team also has expressed interest in a meeting Kushner held at Trump Tower in December 2016 with former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani, people familiar with the meeting told NBC News.

The Kushner Companies` Fifth Avenue property is facing some $1.4 billion in debt that is due in 2019, NBC News cited the sources as saying. Talks with Qatari officials about investing continued after Kushner entered the White

House and stepped away from the business, they said.

After the collapse of talks between Qatar and the Kushner Companies, the White House strongly backed a blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which accused Qatar of backing terrorism. Kushner has played a major role in Middle East policy.

The Washington Post reported earlier this week that officials from the UAE, China, Israel and Mexico have talked privately about ways to manipulate Kushner using his business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience. The Post report quoted unnamed U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the issue.

Kushner has lost his access to top-secret U.S. intelligence information in recent weeks because of his inability to obtain a security clearance at that level.

Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has said there was no collusion

Federal investigators are looking into whether Jared Kushner`s business talks with foreigners, as his father-in-law Donald Trump assumed the U.S. presidency, later influenced White House policy, NBC News reported on Friday. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has asked witnesses about Kushner`s attempts to secure financing for his family`s real estate ventures, focusing specifically on his talks with people from Qatar and Turkey, as well as Russia, China and the United Arab Emirates, NBC News said. NBC cited unnamed people familiar with Mueller`s investigation, as well as witnesses who have been interviewed by Mueller`s team. The special counsel is looking at Russia`s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether there was any collusion with the Trump campaign. A spokesman for Mueller`s office, Peter Carr, declined to comment on the report. A spokesman for Kushner attorney Abbe Lowell said the report was the "mischief" of unnamed sources conducting a "misinformation campaign" to mislead the news media. "Mr. Kushner`s role in the campaign and transition was to be a point person for completely appropriate contacts from foreign officials and he did not mix his or his former company`s business in those contacts," the spokesman, Peter Mirijanian, said in a statement. "Any claim otherwise is false." Russia has denied interfering in the election, and Trump has said there was no collusion. Federal investigators have reached out to Turkish nationals for information on Kushner through the Federal Bureau of Investigation`s legal attache office in Ankara, NBC News said. Qatari government officials who visited the United States earlier this year considered turning over information to Mueller that they believed demonstrated their neighbours in the Gulf were coordinating with Kushner to hurt Qatar, NBC News said, citing four people familiar with the matter. The Qatari officials decided against cooperating with Mueller for now out of fear it would further strain the country`s relations with the White House, the individuals told NBC News. The Qatari embassy in Washington rejected the assertions, saying in a statement late Friday that its government “has not been approached nor has it had any contact with the Special Counsel’s Office on any matters." Kushner`s family business, Kushner Companies, approached Qatar several times, including last spring, about investing in its troubled flagship property at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York, but Qatar`s sovereign wealth fund declined, NBC News said, citing two sources familiar with the discussion. Muller`s team also has expressed interest in a meeting Kushner held at Trump Tower in December 2016 with former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al Thani, people familiar with the meeting told NBC News. The Kushner Companies` Fifth Avenue property is facing some $1.4 billion in debt that is due in 2019, NBC News cited the sources as saying. Talks with Qatari officials about investing continued after Kushner entered the White House and stepped away from the business, they said. After the collapse of talks between Qatar and the Kushner Companies, the White House strongly backed a blockade against Qatar by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which accused Qatar of backing terrorism. Kushner has played a major role in Middle East policy. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that officials from the UAE, China, Israel and Mexico have talked privately about ways to manipulate Kushner using his business arrangements, financial difficulties and lack of foreign policy experience. The Post report quoted unnamed U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports on the issue. Kushner has lost his access to top-secret U.S. intelligence information in recent weeks because of his inability to obtain a security clearance at that level.

Investigators looking at whether Kushner business talks affected US policy

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump&#39;s son-in-law and close adviser,&nbsp;Jared Kushner,&nbsp;has lost access to the most valued US&nbsp;intelligence report, the President&#39;s Daily Brief, as the White House imposes greater discipline on access to secrets, two US&nbsp;officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Kushner, who has been operating under an interim security clearance for about a year, had his access to the highly classified briefing cut off in the past few weeks, said the sources.

A third official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recently passed new information to White House Counsel Don McGahn that led to the slowing or stopping of&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s pending clearance application. The nature of that information was not clear.

It also is unclear if and when&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s access to the briefing, known as the PDB, which requires clearance higher than the Top Secret level, would be reinstated.

Kushner, a wealthy New York businessman married to Trump&#39;s daughter Ivanka, has not received his full security clearance because of his extensive financial links, which have taken a long time to examine. He has revised his security clearance form, called an SF-86, several times.

A White House spokesman for&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment. Trump ignored reporters&#39; shouted questions about&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;and his clearance at an event on Tuesday afternoon.

Kushner&#39;s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement: &quot;Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;has done more than what is expected of him in this process.&quot;

&quot;My inquiries ... have confirmed that there are a dozen or more people at Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s level whose process is delayed, that it is not uncommon for this process to take this long in a new administration, that the current backlogs are being addressed, and no concerns were raised about Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s application,&quot; Lowell said.

Trump&#39;s White House has been grappling with the security clearance issue since it emerged this month that staff secretary Rob Porter worked for Trump for a year with a temporary clearance despite accusations by his two former wives of domestic abuse. Porter has maintained his innocence.

The President&#39;s Daily Brief is distributed to a small number of top-level US&nbsp;officials. It includes highly classified intelligence analysis, information about CIA covert operations and reports from the most sensitive US&nbsp;sources or those shared by allied intelligence agencies.

New security clearance policies announced by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly &quot;will not affect Mr.&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the President,&quot; Lowell said.

But one of the US&nbsp;officials who said&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;had lost access to the daily brief said that without it, his role in some major policy deliberations, including on China and Russia, could be limited.

Broad portfolio&nbsp;

Kushner&nbsp;has had a broad portfolio in the White House. He has taken the lead on Trump&#39;s plan to forge a Middle East peace deal and led the Office of American Innovation, which is intended to modernize and downsize government programs.

Kelly, whose handling of the Porter case was heavily criticized, decreed on Feb. 16 that any interim security clearances for staffers whose background investigations had been pending since June 1 or before would be discontinued within a week.

A source familiar with the matter said the situation had caused tensions between&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;and Kelly.

On Friday, Trump said he would leave it to Kelly to settle the security clearance dispute with Kushner, but left little doubt he wanted the case settled in a way that allowed&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;to keep his job. As president, Trump could grant&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;a full security clearance on his own authority.

White House spokesman Sarah Sanders would not comment on whether&nbsp;Kushner&#39;s security clearance issues had been resolved.

&quot;He&#39;s a valued member of the team and he will continue to do the important work that he&#39;s been doing since he started in the administration,&quot; she told a briefing.

A top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to McGahn and FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, asking for more information on the number of White House officials with interim clearances.

The letter by Senator Chuck Grassley, the committee&#39;s Republican chairman, and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, suggested bipartisan concern over the issue.

Citing reports that dozens of officials are operating with interim clearances, the two lawmakers wrote: &quot;If true, this raises significant concerns that ineligible individuals, who hold positions of public trust, may have access to sensitive or classified information.&quot;

The President's Daily Brief is distributed to a small number of top-level US officials

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, has lost access to the most valued US intelligence report, the President's Daily Brief, as the White House imposes greater discipline on access to secrets, two US officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Kushner, who has been operating under an interim security clearance for about a year, had his access to the highly classified briefing cut off in the past few weeks, said the sources. A third official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein recently passed new information to White House Counsel Don McGahn that led to the slowing or stopping of Kushner's pending clearance application. The nature of that information was not clear. It also is unclear if and when Kushner's access to the briefing, known as the PDB, which requires clearance higher than the Top Secret level, would be reinstated. Kushner, a wealthy New York businessman married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, has not received his full security clearance because of his extensive financial links, which have taken a long time to examine. He has revised his security clearance form, called an SF-86, several times. A White House spokesman for Kushner did not immediately return a phone call and email seeking comment. Trump ignored reporters' shouted questions about Kushner and his clearance at an event on Tuesday afternoon. Kushner's attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement: "Mr. Kushner has done more than what is expected of him in this process." "My inquiries ... have confirmed that there are a dozen or more people at Mr. Kushner's level whose process is delayed, that it is not uncommon for this process to take this long in a new administration, that the current backlogs are being addressed, and no concerns were raised about Mr. Kushner's application," Lowell said. Trump's White House has been grappling with the security clearance issue since it emerged this month that staff secretary Rob Porter worked for Trump for a year with a temporary clearance despite accusations by his two former wives of domestic abuse. Porter has maintained his innocence. The President's Daily Brief is distributed to a small number of top-level US officials. It includes highly classified intelligence analysis, information about CIA covert operations and reports from the most sensitive US sources or those shared by allied intelligence agencies. New security clearance policies announced by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly "will not affect Mr. Kushner's ability to continue to do the very important work he has been assigned by the President," Lowell said. But one of the US officials who said Kushner had lost access to the daily brief said that without it, his role in some major policy deliberations, including on China and Russia, could be limited. Broad portfolio Kushner has had a broad portfolio in the White House. He has taken the lead on Trump's plan to forge a Middle East peace deal and led the Office of American Innovation, which is intended to modernize and downsize government programs. Kelly, whose handling of the Porter case was heavily criticized, decreed on Feb. 16 that any interim security clearances for staffers whose background investigations had been pending since June 1 or before would be discontinued within a week. A source familiar with the matter said the situation had caused tensions between Kushner and Kelly. On Friday, Trump said he would leave it to Kelly to settle the security clearance dispute with Kushner, but left little doubt he wanted the case settled in a way that allowed Kushner to keep his job. As president, Trump could grant Kushner a full security clearance on his own authority. White House spokesman Sarah Sanders would not comment on whether Kushner's security clearance issues had been resolved. "He's a valued member of the team and he will continue to do the important work that he's been doing since he started in the administration," she told a briefing. A top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote to McGahn and FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday, asking for more information on the number of White House officials with interim clearances. The letter by Senator Chuck Grassley, the committee's Republican chairman, and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, suggested bipartisan concern over the issue. Citing reports that dozens of officials are operating with interim clearances, the two lawmakers wrote: "If true, this raises significant concerns that ineligible individuals, who hold positions of public trust, may have access to sensitive or classified information."

Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner loses access to top intelligence briefing: Sources

Special counsel Robert Mueller is probing Jared Kushner&#39;s efforts to get foreign investors beyond Russia to provide financing for his company during the presidential transition, including in China, CNN reported Monday.

The probe was previously only said to have focused on the Russia contacts of President Donald Trump&#39;s senior adviser and son in law, only with the campaign&#39;s data analytics and Kushner&#39;s ties with disgraced ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Mueller&#39;s team is probing Kushner&#39;s conversations during the presidential transition to get financing for the Kushner Companies-backed 666 Fifth Avenue office building in New York after financial setbacks, CNN said, citing people familiar with the investigation.

Kushner&#39;s father founded the real estate developer and lender.

CNN said Mueller&#39;s investigators have yet to contact Kushner Companies or request interviews with its executives, and the reasons behind the focus on the outreach to foreign investors are unclear.

Kushner played a leading role in the presidential transition team&#39;s contacts with foreign governments, and has indicated he spoke during that time with more than 50 contacts from over 15 countries.

One week after Trump&#39;s November 8, 2016 election, Kushner met with the chairman and other executives from the Chinese group Anbang Insurance, The New York Times has reported.

Kushner and Anbang chairman Wu Xiaohui were close to finishing a deal for the Chinese conglomerate to invest in 666 Fifth Avenue.

But the talks broke down, the Times said.

Other business dealings targeted by Mueller include negotiations on the same property with Qatar&#39;s former prime minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, according to The Intercept. But that deal also failed.

Kushner purchased the building in 2007 for $1.8 billion in a mostly debt deal, but the housing crisis triggered financial setbacks for 666 Fifth Avenue, leading Vornado Realty Trust to take a 49.5 per cent stake in 2011.

&quot;In all of Mr Kushner&#39;s extensive cooperation with all inquiries, there has not been a single question asked nor document sought on the 666 building or Kushner Co deals,&quot; Kushner attorney Abbe Lowell told CNN.

&quot;Nor would there be any reason to question these regular business transactions.&quot;

Kushner also met Sergey Gorkov, chairman of Russian state-run Vnesheconombank, during the transition, but he testified in Congress that the meeting was only for official government purposes.&nbsp;

However, the bank has said the talks were part of a series of business meetings. And The Washington Post has reported that Mueller is probing that meeting as well.

 
&nbsp;

Special counsel Robert Mueller is probing Jared Kushner's efforts to get foreign investors beyond Russia to provide financing for his company during the presidential transition, including in China, CNN reported

Special counsel Robert Mueller is probing Jared Kushner's efforts to get foreign investors beyond Russia to provide financing for his company during the presidential transition, including in China, CNN reported Monday. The probe was previously only said to have focused on the Russia contacts of President Donald Trump's senior adviser and son in law, only with the campaign's data analytics and Kushner's ties with disgraced ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn. Mueller's team is probing Kushner's conversations during the presidential transition to get financing for the Kushner Companies-backed 666 Fifth Avenue office building in New York after financial setbacks, CNN said, citing people familiar with the investigation. Kushner's father founded the real estate developer and lender. CNN said Mueller's investigators have yet to contact Kushner Companies or request interviews with its executives, and the reasons behind the focus on the outreach to foreign investors are unclear. Kushner played a leading role in the presidential transition team's contacts with foreign governments, and has indicated he spoke during that time with more than 50 contacts from over 15 countries. One week after Trump's November 8, 2016 election, Kushner met with the chairman and other executives from the Chinese group Anbang Insurance, The New York Times has reported. Kushner and Anbang chairman Wu Xiaohui were close to finishing a deal for the Chinese conglomerate to invest in 666 Fifth Avenue. But the talks broke down, the Times said. Other business dealings targeted by Mueller include negotiations on the same property with Qatar's former prime minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, according to The Intercept. But that deal also failed. Kushner purchased the building in 2007 for $1.8 billion in a mostly debt deal, but the housing crisis triggered financial setbacks for 666 Fifth Avenue, leading Vornado Realty Trust to take a 49.5 per cent stake in 2011. "In all of Mr Kushner's extensive cooperation with all inquiries, there has not been a single question asked nor document sought on the 666 building or Kushner Co deals," Kushner attorney Abbe Lowell told CNN. "Nor would there be any reason to question these regular business transactions." Kushner also met Sergey Gorkov, chairman of Russian state-run Vnesheconombank, during the transition, but he testified in Congress that the meeting was only for official government purposes. However, the bank has said the talks were part of a series of business meetings. And The Washington Post has reported that Mueller is probing that meeting as well.

US probe looking at Kushner's foreign business contacts: Report

The Arab League chief said on Sunday a decision by United States President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital would boost fanaticism and violence, and not serve the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Trump&#39;s son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner told the Saban Forum on Sunday the president is close to a decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;It is unfortunate that some are insisting on carrying out this step without any regard to the dangers it carries to the stability of the Middle East and the whole world,&quot; Ahmed Abul Gheit, head of the Arab League, told reporters in Cairo on Sunday.

Abul Gheit said the Arab League is closely following the issue and is in contact with the Palestinian authorities and Arab states to coordinate the Arab position if Trump takes the step.

Trump must decide on Monday whether to sign a legal waiver that would delay plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months.

Every US president has done this since 1995, judging the time not ripe for such a move, and Trump is expected to begrudgingly do so for a second time this week.

But, according to diplomats and observers, he is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel&#39;s claim on Jerusalem as its capital.

Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation.

&quot;Nothing justifies this act... it will not serve peace or stability, instead it will nourish fanaticism and violence,&quot; said Abul Gheit.

The move would &quot;benefit only one side, which is the anti-peace Israeli government,&quot; he told reporters.

Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community.

The Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state.

The traditional United States position is that the status of Jerusalem must be negotiated between the two sides.

Trump's son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said on Sunday the president is close to a decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital

The Arab League chief said on Sunday a decision by United States President Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital would boost fanaticism and violence, and not serve the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Trump's son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner told the Saban Forum on Sunday the president is close to a decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "It is unfortunate that some are insisting on carrying out this step without any regard to the dangers it carries to the stability of the Middle East and the whole world," Ahmed Abul Gheit, head of the Arab League, told reporters in Cairo on Sunday. Abul Gheit said the Arab League is closely following the issue and is in contact with the Palestinian authorities and Arab states to coordinate the Arab position if Trump takes the step. Trump must decide on Monday whether to sign a legal waiver that would delay plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months. Every US president has done this since 1995, judging the time not ripe for such a move, and Trump is expected to begrudgingly do so for a second time this week. But, according to diplomats and observers, he is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation. "Nothing justifies this act... it will not serve peace or stability, instead it will nourish fanaticism and violence," said Abul Gheit. The move would "benefit only one side, which is the anti-peace Israeli government," he told reporters. Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967. It later annexed east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. The Palestinians see the eastern sector as the capital of their future state. The traditional United States position is that the status of Jerusalem must be negotiated between the two sides.

Arab League chief warns Trump Jerusalem move could fuel violence

US President Donald Trump is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, his son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday.

Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation.

But Kushner, the 36-year-old head of a small and tight-knit White House negotiating team, made a rare public appearance to put an optimistic face on his efforts.

&quot;The president&#39;s going to make his decision,&quot; Kushner told the Saban Forum, choosing not to deny reports Trump will declare Jerusalem Israel&#39;s capital on Wednesday. (Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/world/arab-league-chief-warns-trump-jerusalem-move-could-fuel-violence-25777">Arab League chief warns Trump Jerusalem move could fuel violence</a>)

&quot;He&#39;s still looking at a lot of different facts and when he makes his decision he&#39;ll be the one who wants to tell you. So he&#39;ll make sure he does that at the right time.&quot;

On Monday, Trump must decide whether to sign a legal waiver that would delay plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months.

Every US president has done this since 1995, judging the time not ripe for such a move, and Trump is expected to begrudgingly do so for a second time this week.

But, according to diplomats and observers, he is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel&#39;s claim on Jerusalem as its capital.

&nbsp;New intifada? 
This will likely provoke fury among Palestinians and the wider Arab world, and may hamper Kushner&#39;s long-shot effort to revamp the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Palestinians have been lobbying regional leaders to oppose the decision and the armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new &quot;intifada&quot;.

But Kushner, addressing a sympathetic audience at an annual meeting of Israeli and US policy-makers hosted by businessman Haim Saban, sees grounds for optimism.

The real estate developer turned presidential adviser is working closely with Israeli officials and has developed ties with the young Saudi and Emirati monarchs.&nbsp;

He sees an opportunity for peace if the Sunni Arab countries of the region align themselves with Israel in opposition to the threat of Iran.&nbsp;

Israel&#39;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares this hope, although he dares hope an accommodation with Arab countries could precede any Palestinian deal.

Kushner, in common with US official thinking under previous administrations, sees a Israeli-Palestinian settlement as coming before any great re-alignment.

&quot;You&#39;ve got to focus on solving the big issue,&quot; he told a friendly but frankly skeptical Saban, and an audience of dignitaries and policy experts.

&quot;The regional dynamic plays a big role in what we think the opportunities are because ... a lot of these countries look and say they all want the same thing.&nbsp;

&quot;And they look at the regional threats and I think that they see Israel, who is traditionally their foe, is a much more natural ally to them than it was 20 years ago.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;You&#39;ve a lot of people who want to put this together, but you have to overcome this issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order for that to happen,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;&#39;Regime will fall&#39; 
 
Earlier, Netanyahu also addressed the forum by video link from Israel, and also spoke of the opportunity for reconciliation in the region.

But his focus was firmly on the threat of Iran, which he again compared to Nazi Germany in its alleged determination to &quot;murder Jews.&quot;

His address barely touched on the Palestinian issue, but did speak of regional peace, under a longer timeframe than the one Kushner has in mind.

&quot;And that&#39;s just one reason why I&#39;m so hopeful about the future. Today Israel is more welcomed by the nations of the world than ever before,&quot; Netanyahu said.

&quot;When I look forward 50 and 100 years I believe Israel will be embraced openly by its Arab neighbors rather than in secret in the way it&#39;s done today.&quot;

Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was less optimistic, warning a change in the US stance on Jerusalem would spell disaster.

In a statement, he warned the United States would &quot;be disqualifying itself to play any role in any initiative towards achieving a just and lasting peace.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

According to diplomats and observers, the US President is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital

US President Donald Trump is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, his son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday. Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation. But Kushner, the 36-year-old head of a small and tight-knit White House negotiating team, made a rare public appearance to put an optimistic face on his efforts. "The president's going to make his decision," Kushner told the Saban Forum, choosing not to deny reports Trump will declare Jerusalem Israel's capital on Wednesday. (Also Read: Arab League chief warns Trump Jerusalem move could fuel violence) "He's still looking at a lot of different facts and when he makes his decision he'll be the one who wants to tell you. So he'll make sure he does that at the right time." On Monday, Trump must decide whether to sign a legal waiver that would delay plans to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for another six months. Every US president has done this since 1995, judging the time not ripe for such a move, and Trump is expected to begrudgingly do so for a second time this week. But, according to diplomats and observers, he is also now expected to announce in a speech on Wednesday that he supports Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital. New intifada? This will likely provoke fury among Palestinians and the wider Arab world, and may hamper Kushner's long-shot effort to revamp the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Palestinians have been lobbying regional leaders to oppose the decision and the armed Islamist movement Hamas has threatened to launch a new "intifada". But Kushner, addressing a sympathetic audience at an annual meeting of Israeli and US policy-makers hosted by businessman Haim Saban, sees grounds for optimism. The real estate developer turned presidential adviser is working closely with Israeli officials and has developed ties with the young Saudi and Emirati monarchs. He sees an opportunity for peace if the Sunni Arab countries of the region align themselves with Israel in opposition to the threat of Iran. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shares this hope, although he dares hope an accommodation with Arab countries could precede any Palestinian deal. Kushner, in common with US official thinking under previous administrations, sees a Israeli-Palestinian settlement as coming before any great re-alignment. "You've got to focus on solving the big issue," he told a friendly but frankly skeptical Saban, and an audience of dignitaries and policy experts. "The regional dynamic plays a big role in what we think the opportunities are because ... a lot of these countries look and say they all want the same thing. "And they look at the regional threats and I think that they see Israel, who is traditionally their foe, is a much more natural ally to them than it was 20 years ago." "You've a lot of people who want to put this together, but you have to overcome this issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order for that to happen," he said. 'Regime will fall' Earlier, Netanyahu also addressed the forum by video link from Israel, and also spoke of the opportunity for reconciliation in the region. But his focus was firmly on the threat of Iran, which he again compared to Nazi Germany in its alleged determination to "murder Jews." His address barely touched on the Palestinian issue, but did speak of regional peace, under a longer timeframe than the one Kushner has in mind. "And that's just one reason why I'm so hopeful about the future. Today Israel is more welcomed by the nations of the world than ever before," Netanyahu said. "When I look forward 50 and 100 years I believe Israel will be embraced openly by its Arab neighbors rather than in secret in the way it's done today." Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was less optimistic, warning a change in the US stance on Jerusalem would spell disaster. In a statement, he warned the United States would "be disqualifying itself to play any role in any initiative towards achieving a just and lasting peace."

Trump close to decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital: Jared Kushner

Former US&nbsp;National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted on Friday that he asked Russia to delay a UN&nbsp;vote seen as damaging to Israel, but diplomats said it was not the only country he and presidential adviser Jared Kushner lobbied.&nbsp;

In the hours before the vote by the 15-member United Nations Security Council on December 23, Flynn also phoned the UN&nbsp;missions of Uruguay and Malaysia, and Kushner spoke with Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the United States, according to diplomats familiar with the conversations, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The lobbying took place before Republican President Donald Trump, who was known for his pro-Israel campaign rhetoric, took office on January 20. It failed, with the Security Council adopting a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The vote was 14 in favour and one abstention by the United States.&nbsp;

The efforts made on Israel&#39;s behalf capped several days of unusual diplomacy. In a surprise December 21 move, Egypt had called for a vote the next day on the draft resolution, prompting both Trump and Israel to urge Washington to veto the text.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ex-trump-aide-flynn-pleads-guilty-to-lying-about-russia-links-25647">Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links</a>

A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials contacted Trump&#39;s transition team at a &quot;high level&quot; to ask for help after failing to persuade Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s administration to veto the draft UN&nbsp;resolution.&nbsp;

According to court documents made public on Friday, a member of Trump&#39;s presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump&#39;s son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution.&nbsp;

Flynn spoke with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak that day, and again the following day, according to the court documents.

Also on December 22, Trump discussed the resolution with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt withdrew the text from a council vote the same day.&nbsp;

The 1799 Logan Act bars unauthorised private US&nbsp;citizens, which Trump, Flynn, and Kushner all were at the time, from negotiating with foreign governments. However, only two Americans have ever been indicted for allegedly violating it &ndash; in 1802 and 1852 &ndash; and neither was convicted.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday about Israel or other issues.

A second go-round

After Egypt withdrew the resolution, its co-sponsors, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, put it forward again for a December 23 vote.

In Washington, Kushner was in contact with Britain&#39;s Darroch, and Flynn spoke with Kislyak - lobbying to delay the vote or veto the resolution.

A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the council&#39;s five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States - to be adopted.

Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, signalled to colleagues behind closed doors on Dec. 23 that he was unhappy with the haste with which the draft resolution was being put to a vote, but he did not ask for the vote to be delayed, diplomats said.

Flynn also tried to speak to Malaysian UN&nbsp;Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, but Ibrahim did not take the call. He also called the Uruguayan UN&nbsp;mission, eventually getting through to Deputy Ambassador Luis Bermudez &ndash; who was the charge d&#39;affaires - minutes before the vote.

A member of Trump's presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump's son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution

Former US National Security Adviser Michael Flynn admitted on Friday that he asked Russia to delay a UN vote seen as damaging to Israel, but diplomats said it was not the only country he and presidential adviser Jared Kushner lobbied. In the hours before the vote by the 15-member United Nations Security Council on December 23, Flynn also phoned the UN missions of Uruguay and Malaysia, and Kushner spoke with Kim Darroch, the British ambassador to the United States, according to diplomats familiar with the conversations, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The lobbying took place before Republican President Donald Trump, who was known for his pro-Israel campaign rhetoric, took office on January 20. It failed, with the Security Council adopting a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building on land Palestinians want for an independent state. The vote was 14 in favour and one abstention by the United States. The efforts made on Israel's behalf capped several days of unusual diplomacy. In a surprise December 21 move, Egypt had called for a vote the next day on the draft resolution, prompting both Trump and Israel to urge Washington to veto the text. Also read: Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Israeli officials contacted Trump's transition team at a "high level" to ask for help after failing to persuade Democratic President Barack Obama's administration to veto the draft UN resolution. According to court documents made public on Friday, a member of Trump's presidential transition team, later identified by sources as Trump's son-in-law Kushner, told Flynn on December 22 to contact officials from foreign governments, including Russia, to convince them to delay the vote or veto the resolution. Flynn spoke with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak that day, and again the following day, according to the court documents. Also on December 22, Trump discussed the resolution with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egypt withdrew the text from a council vote the same day. The 1799 Logan Act bars unauthorised private US citizens, which Trump, Flynn, and Kushner all were at the time, from negotiating with foreign governments. However, only two Americans have ever been indicted for allegedly violating it – in 1802 and 1852 – and neither was convicted. Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Kushner, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Friday about Israel or other issues. A second go-round After Egypt withdrew the resolution, its co-sponsors, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela, and Senegal, put it forward again for a December 23 vote. In Washington, Kushner was in contact with Britain's Darroch, and Flynn spoke with Kislyak - lobbying to delay the vote or veto the resolution. A resolution needs nine votes in favour and no vetoes by the council's five permanent members - China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States - to be adopted. Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who died in February, signalled to colleagues behind closed doors on Dec. 23 that he was unhappy with the haste with which the draft resolution was being put to a vote, but he did not ask for the vote to be delayed, diplomats said. Flynn also tried to speak to Malaysian UN Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, but Ibrahim did not take the call. He also called the Uruguayan UN mission, eventually getting through to Deputy Ambassador Luis Bermudez – who was the charge d'affaires - minutes before the vote.

Flynn, Kushner targeted several states in failed UN lobbying: Diplomats

Donald Trump&#39;s former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president&#39;s campaign team and Moscow.

The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller&#39;s sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year&#39;s election.

Flynn&#39;s admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, with direction from top officials in Trump&#39;s presidential transition team, set Washington abuzz with speculation as to who in the Republican leader&#39;s inner circle might next be in Mueller&#39;s sights.

The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that one of the &quot;very senior&quot; officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump&#39;s son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner.

Flynn&#39;s guilty plea, on one federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation.

The White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate &quot;anyone&quot; else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow, news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling.

&quot;I recognise that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong,&quot; Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital.

&quot;My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel&#39;s office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions.&quot;

The charge normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show.

Flynn lied over Russia contacts&nbsp;

Flynn admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions at the end of December 2016 with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then President Barack Obama.

At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump&#39;s White House national security advisor.

Flynn eventually was given that post but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia.

According to court documents released by prosecutors, on December 28 last year, Flynn asked Kislyak to moderate Russia&#39;s response to new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, announced by Obama in retaliation for Moscow&#39;s interference in the 2016 election.

The documents say he took that action based on discussions with &quot;a senior official of the Presidential Transition Team.&quot;&nbsp;

After the December 29 announcement, the Obama administration was openly puzzled by Moscow&#39;s decision not to retaliate and began investigating possible interference by Flynn and the Trump campaign.

A week earlier, under the instruction of &quot;a very senior member&quot; of the transition team, Flynn also secretly asked Kislyak to defeat or delay a looming UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israel&#39;s settlements in Palestinian territory, according to court filings.

While the two interactions do not clearly suggest collusion, they raise questions about the Trump team&#39;s dealings with Moscow before taking office and whether they actively worked to undermine Obama&#39;s policies.

The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn&#39;s admitted lies about those meetings &quot;mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation.&quot;

&quot;Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn,&quot; said White House attorney Ty Cobb.

Trump still denies Russian interference&nbsp;

Since the first allegations of Russian interference last year, and despite reports from top US intelligence officials concluding it happened, Trump has dismissed the notion as &quot;fake news&quot; and an excuse for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton&#39;s loss at the polls.

&quot;Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phoney Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia.&nbsp;Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. Make America great again!&quot;.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/934896989539586054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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But Friday&#39;s news made clear that Trump&#39;s inner circle could increasingly come under the microscope.

For Trump, the focus is on whether he has tried to stifle the investigation, including by firing FBI chief James Comey in May, which could draw obstruction of justice charges, the same charges that forced President Richard Nixon from office in 1974.

On social media: Comey posted a biblical verse: &quot;But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.&quot;

&quot;The one individual that still seems to deny that this is a major issue is Donald Trump. And I just kind of wonder why&quot; Democratic Senator Mark Warner told CNN.

Fourth person charged by Mueller&nbsp;

Three others have been charged in the Mueller probe.

In October, Trump&#39;s one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were arrested on money laundering and tax-related charges.

George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to investigators in a deal that made clear he was cooperating with investigators.

The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year's election.

Donald Trump's former top advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI over his contacts with Russia, in a dramatic escalation of the probe into possible collusion between the president's campaign team and Moscow. The 58-year-old Flynn, a retired three-star Army general, is the most senior figure indicted in special prosecutor Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russian interference in last year's election. Flynn's admission that he had secret discussions in December 2016 with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak, with direction from top officials in Trump's presidential transition team, set Washington abuzz with speculation as to who in the Republican leader's inner circle might next be in Mueller's sights. The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed sources, that one of the "very senior" officials advising Flynn to contact the Russian envoy was Trump's son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner. Flynn's guilty plea, on one federal charge of making false statements to investigators, came with a pledge to cooperate with Mueller, whose focus goes beyond possible collusion with Russia to shady business dealings and whether Trump himself tried to thwart the investigation. The White House rejected the idea that Flynn could implicate "anyone" else, as ABC News reported that Flynn would testify that Trump ordered him to reach out to Moscow, news that sent Wall Street shares tumbling. "I recognise that the actions I acknowledged in court today were wrong," Flynn said in a statement after a brief appearance in federal court in the US capital. "My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel's office reflect a decision I made in the best interests of my family and of our country. I accept full responsibility for my actions." The charge normally carries up to five years in prison, but under the terms of the plea deal, Mueller says he has recommended a lighter sentence of only up to six months in jail, court filings show. Flynn lied over Russia contacts Flynn admitted he lied to FBI investigators about his private discussions at the end of December 2016 with Kislyak about US sanctions imposed on Moscow by the administration of then President Barack Obama. At the time, Flynn was a campaign and transition advisor with no official US government role, but he was clearly a top candidate to become Trump's White House national security advisor. Flynn eventually was given that post but was forced to resign in February, just weeks after the president took office, due to public concerns over his contacts with Russia. According to court documents released by prosecutors, on December 28 last year, Flynn asked Kislyak to moderate Russia's response to new sanctions and the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats, announced by Obama in retaliation for Moscow's interference in the 2016 election. The documents say he took that action based on discussions with "a senior official of the Presidential Transition Team." After the December 29 announcement, the Obama administration was openly puzzled by Moscow's decision not to retaliate and began investigating possible interference by Flynn and the Trump campaign. A week earlier, under the instruction of "a very senior member" of the transition team, Flynn also secretly asked Kislyak to defeat or delay a looming UN Security Council resolution to condemn Israel's settlements in Palestinian territory, according to court filings. While the two interactions do not clearly suggest collusion, they raise questions about the Trump team's dealings with Moscow before taking office and whether they actively worked to undermine Obama's policies. The White House, which has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to Moscow, said Flynn's admitted lies about those meetings "mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation." "Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr Flynn," said White House attorney Ty Cobb. Trump still denies Russian interference Since the first allegations of Russian interference last year, and despite reports from top US intelligence officials concluding it happened, Trump has dismissed the notion as "fake news" and an excuse for Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's loss at the polls. "Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phoney Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia, Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. Make America great again!". Since the first day I took office, all you hear is the phony Democrat excuse for losing the election, Russia, Russia,Russia. Despite this I have the economy booming and have possibly done more than any 10 month President. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 26, 2017 × But Friday's news made clear that Trump's inner circle could increasingly come under the microscope. For Trump, the focus is on whether he has tried to stifle the investigation, including by firing FBI chief James Comey in May, which could draw obstruction of justice charges, the same charges that forced President Richard Nixon from office in 1974. On social media: Comey posted a biblical verse: "But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." "The one individual that still seems to deny that this is a major issue is Donald Trump. And I just kind of wonder why" Democratic Senator Mark Warner told CNN. Fourth person charged by Mueller Three others have been charged in the Mueller probe. In October, Trump's one-time campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were arrested on money laundering and tax-related charges. George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy advisor, pleaded guilty to a charge of lying to investigators in a deal that made clear he was cooperating with investigators.

Ex-Trump aide Flynn pleads guilty to lying about Russia links

The White House has launched an internal probe of the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kushner-used-personal-email-for-wh-business-20613"> use of private email for official business</a> by senior aides to President Donald Trump, news outlet Politico reported Thursday.

The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts of these aides, Politico said, quoting four people familiar with the probe.

Politico said at least five current and former White House officials used private email to conduct government business: Trump&#39;s son in law and adviser Jared&nbsp;Kushner, daughter Ivanka, economic adviser Gary Cohn, former strategic adviser Steve Bannon and former chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Politico said the probe began this week after it reported private email use by&nbsp;Kushner.

The internal probe could take weeks or even months, it said.

Trump&#39;s White House legal staff is reviewing the accounts to see if any of the messages sent relate to the Russia probes being carried out by two congressional panels and special counsel Robert Mueller, Politico quoted one of its sources as saying.

As a candidate, Trump routinely attacked his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, telling supporters &quot;she has to go to jail&quot; over the affair.

Politico reported Monday that&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;used a personal account to send messages to senior White House officials and outside advisers about media coverage, planning events, and other issues.

There is no suggestion the emails contained highly sensitive information or were classified, it added, but they could fall foul of the Presidential Records Act, which requires all documents related to the president&#39;s personal and political activities to be archived.

Kushner&#39;s numerous responsibilities within the Trump administration include trying to broker peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In addition to the email controversy,&nbsp;Kushner&nbsp;is facing scrutiny over the Trump campaign&#39;s alleged collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 US election, which is the subject of the probes in Congress and by Mueller.

The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts of these aides, Politico said, quoting four people familiar with the probe

The White House has launched an internal probe of the use of private email for official business by senior aides to President Donald Trump, news outlet Politico reported Thursday. The administration is scouring the White House server for emails to and from private email accounts of these aides, Politico said, quoting four people familiar with the probe. Politico said at least five current and former White House officials used private email to conduct government business: Trump's son in law and adviser Jared Kushner, daughter Ivanka, economic adviser Gary Cohn, former strategic adviser Steve Bannon and former chief of staff Reince Priebus. Politico said the probe began this week after it reported private email use by Kushner. The internal probe could take weeks or even months, it said. Trump's White House legal staff is reviewing the accounts to see if any of the messages sent relate to the Russia probes being carried out by two congressional panels and special counsel Robert Mueller, Politico quoted one of its sources as saying. As a candidate, Trump routinely attacked his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, telling supporters "she has to go to jail" over the affair. Politico reported Monday that Kushner used a personal account to send messages to senior White House officials and outside advisers about media coverage, planning events, and other issues. There is no suggestion the emails contained highly sensitive information or were classified, it added, but they could fall foul of the Presidential Records Act, which requires all documents related to the president's personal and political activities to be archived. Kushner's numerous responsibilities within the Trump administration include trying to broker peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition to the email controversy, Kushner is facing scrutiny over the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia to interfere in the 2016 US election, which is the subject of the probes in Congress and by Mueller.

White House probing use of private email

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