Trump’s top peace negotiator meets Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem
Published January 7, 2020
JERUSALEM (JTA) — President Donald Trump’s special representative for international negotiations met in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the White House’s Israel-Palestinian peace plan, JTA has learned.
The meeting between Avi Berkowitz and Netanyahu was held on Monday, a person familiar with the meeting told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman also was present at the meeting.
Berkowitz succeeded Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s top Middle East peace negotiator, in November. It is his first visit to Israel since taking over.
Last summer, the Trump administration rolled out the economic portion of its peace plan, which relied heavily on regional Arab businessmen investing in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Palestinian officials boycotted the rollout conference in Bahrain, and Israeli officials were not invited to attend.
The rest of the plan had been scheduled to be released shortly after, but Israel’s series of national elections has delayed the roll out.