A senior White House official over the weekend denied a report appearing in the Arab al-Hayat newspaper stating that during a meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), US special advisor Jared Kushner told the PA leader the US will not demand a settlement freeze from Israel for doing so will topple PM Netanyahu.

Kushner, who is also US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is quoted explaining to the PA leader that a settlement freeze could lead to a breakdown of the Netanyahu-led government.

The official is quoted telling Haaretz “This is nonsense. This comment was never made”.

The al-Hayat statement explains a “US delegation” informed Abbas of the inability to compel a construction freeze, with the delegation consisting of

Kushner, envoy Jason Greenblatt and Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell.

The report adds that Kushner and his colleagues were open to the two-state solution, but refused to speak about Israel returning to pre-1967 borders, explaining the latter is a matter for direct talks between Israel and the PA, not foreign dictate.

The current administration has broken from the norm accepted by its predecessors, as they have spoken over and over of the two-state solution and the need for Israeli land concessions. President Trump however has made it clear, this is a matter among many that must be left to direct negotiations and not something a foreign nation can compel on another.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)