US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to push the Trump administration’s long-awaited plan for Mideast peace, just as Israel was thrust into the political tumult of an unprecedented second election in the same year.

Kushner and U.S. special envoy Jason Greenblatt stopped in Israel as part of a Middle East tour to rally support for the administration’s upcoming economic conference in Bahrain, which the White House bills as the first portion of its peace plan.

The U.S. is hoping to draw Arab states with deep pockets to participate in the workshop, which envisions large-scale infrastructure work and investment in the Palestinian territories.

In brief joint remarks, Kushner touted American-Israeli cooperation, saying, “The security of Israel is something that is critical to the relationship between America and Israel and also very important to the president, and we appreciate all of your efforts to strengthen the relationship. … It’s never been stronger.”

“I want to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for his gracious hospitality. I send greetings from President Trump for you and for all people of Israel. This was my first time in Israel since the President recognized the Golan Heights, which was a very important announcement. The security of Israel is something that’s critical to the relations between America and Israel, and also very important to the President, and we appreciate all your efforts to strengthen the relationship between our two countries. It’s never been stronger, and we’re very excited about all the potential that lies ahead for Israel, for the relationship, and for the future.”

But public attention was dominated by Israel’s political crisis.

Netanyahu attempted to play down concerns that the Israeli parliament’s dramatic dissolution would further postpone the U.S. peace plan rollout. “You know, we had a little event last night,” he said. “That’s not going to stop us.”

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“It’s always a great pleasure to welcome Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt to Israel, to Jerusalem, and to discuss our common efforts for prosperity, security and peace. I’m tremendously encouraged by how the United States, under President Trump, is working to bring allies together in this region against common challenges, but also to seize common opportunities. And, you know, we had a little event last night. That’s not going to stop us. We’re going to continue working together. We had a great, productive meeting, which reaffirms that the alliance between the United States of America and Israel has never been stronger, and it’s going to get even stronger.”

Later, while addressing a nation bewildered by the prospect of an unprecedented second election campaign in the same year, Netanyahu brandished an official US State Department map that had been updated to incorporate the long-disputed Golan Heights as part of Israel.

He said that Jared Kushner gifted him the map during his visit to Israel.

“This map had not been updated since the Six Day War,” said Netanyahu, referring to the 1967 Middle East war, after which Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria, and later annexed it in a move not internationally recognized. “Well, it has been updated, it just got an update. … That is to say, there are very important developments here.”

He pointed to a note scribbled on the map, which he called President Trump’s personal handiwork. “Here is the signature of Trump, and he writes ‘nice.’ I say, ‘very nice!’”

#Trump gave Netanyahu, via Jared Kushner, an updated map of Israel 'which includes the Golan Heights and the sovereignty of Israel.' pic.twitter.com/FqJVIr4Kdh

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 30, 2019

Netanyahu has a penchant for props, which he pulls out in moments of political desperation. Last year, he hauled part of a downed Iranian drone to a European security conference to warn of accelerating Iranian entrenchment in Syria. In 2012, he brought a cartoonish diagram of an Iranian bomb to the U.N. General Assembly to drum up global concern about Iran’s nuclear program.

During his race for re-election, Netanyahu consistently leveraged his close friendship with Trump to win votes, touting various political gifts from the White House as evidence of his foreign policy prowess. His crowning achievement came on the campaign trail when the Trump administration recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, which upended decades of U.S. policy.

#Netanyahu is a great guy and they're back in the election stage — that is too bad, President Donald #Trump says. #IsraElex19v2 pic.twitter.com/2VZV0iotST

— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 30, 2019

#Israel PM Netanyahu has had his worst day in politics, but to make him feel better Jared Kushner hand delivered new US map showing annexed Golan Heights as part of Israel. Trump wrote “Nice”: pic.twitter.com/T2Sh09FwqF

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) May 30, 2019

(AP / YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)