US President Donald Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner said on Thursday that the Trump administration is keen on finding peace in the Middle East so that prosperity prevails.
On the other hand, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that an Arab-Israeli peace is complicated but not impossible. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that peace is achievable.
The settlement issue contributed to the breakdown of negotiations three years ago.
“We have things to talk about - how to advance peace, stability and security in our region, prosperity too. And I think that all of them are within our reach,” Netanyahu, welcoming Kushner to his Tel Aviv office, said in a video clip released by the US Embassy.
Kushner arrived in Israel with US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt on Wednesday after meeting Arab leaders in the Gulf, Egypt and Jordan.
Abbas told Kushner on Thursday that despite the obstacles, he was willing to work with the US administration to reach a "peace deal."
A few hours before their meeting, Abbas received a phone call from a number of Arab leaders, including Jordan's King Abdullah II, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
A statement published by Abbas' office regarding the phone calls said that they dealt with the updates from the talks the leaders had with Kushner and on coordinating their respective positions.
According to Reuters, Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said Kushner’s visit could prove significant, particularly because of the envoy’s consultations with regional allies this week.
“This may create a new chance to reach a settlement based on the two-state solution and the Arab initiative and stop the current deterioration of the peace process.”
Abu Rdainah was referring to a 2002 Arab League initiative that offers Israel diplomatic recognition from Arab countries in return for a statehood deal with the Palestinians and a full Israeli withdrawal from territory captured in the 1967 war.
"We very much appreciate the efforts of President Trump, who announced from the beginning that he will work to reach a historic peace deal and has repeated this more than once during the meetings we held in Washington, Riyadh and Bethlehem," Abbas said before his meeting with Kushner.
"I want to stress that the American delegations are working for peace and we will work with them to reach what Trump calls a peace deal. We know things are hard and complicated, but nothing is impossible if you put in an honest effort," he added.
