Trump’s senior advisor leaves Cairo after discussing Palestinian issue

CAIRO – 21 June 2018: Jared Kushner, senior advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, and Jason Greenblatt, the president’s special envoy to the Middle East peace process, leaved Cairo on Thursday after discussing the Palestinian issue.

As part of their five-country trip that includes Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, a delegation headed by Kushner and Greenblatt had arrived in Cairo in a reportedly short visit to meet high-level officials including President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi

The trip aims to discuss peace efforts and the crisis in Gaza. However, the trip does not include a meeting with Palestinian officials, as they refused to meet with any of the U.S. officials following Trump's decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, according to media reports.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received Kushner and Greenblatt on Wednesday to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.


FILE - Jared Kushner (C) meets with Saudi Arabia Foreign Minister (L) – Reuters

On Wednesday, the Israeli military announced that its warplanes had struck about 25 Hamas sites in Gaza.

Kushner and Greenblatt also met with King Abdullah of Jordan on Tuesday in the capital, Amman, a day after Abdullah held talks in Amman with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.


FILE – King Abdullah of Jordan (R), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – Courtesy of the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO)
The White House said in a statement that the U.S. officials' meeting with King Abdullah discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries. They also discussed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza strip and other regional issues, the statement read.

The Gaza protests peaked on May 14, where at least 61 Palestinians were killed, as tens of thousands of Gazans protested and clashes erupted on the same day of the US Embassy's relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Demonstrations and clashes have continued at a low level since then. At least 121 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the unrest.

President Sisi received a phone call from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who stressed his country’s keenness to support and boost strategic cooperation with Egypt in light of its pivotal role in preserving the security and stability of the Middle East region.


FILE - President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi meets with senior advisor to American president, Jared Kushner, in Cairo
According to Presidential spokesperson Bassam Radi, Pence commended Egypt’s role in easing the situation in Gaza, in addition to its efforts to achieve the Palestinian reconciliation.

For his part, the Egyptian leader affirmed the depth of the strategic relations between Egypt and the United States, which are considered one of the pillars of stability in the Middle East.

President Sisi expressed that he is looking forward to promoting these relations in a bid to achieve mutual interests, especially restoring security in the region.

Sisi also stressed Egypt’s firm stance toward the Palestinian case and the rights of Palestinians, in accordance with principles of the international law.