“It is based not only on Kushner sounds out PM, Abbas conventional Israeli-Palestin- ian negotiation, but on the potential for a new relation- ship between the Arab nations on ways to move peace forward and Israel,” he said. “It is an opportunity of unprecedent- US not pushing summit or expected to put forward road map ed promise. We must grasp it with both hands.” While it is no secret that • By HERB KEINON there are many forms of coop- US President Donald Trump's eration between Israel and the region, said Blair, on his top adviser and son-in-law 182nd trip to Israel, the “key Jared Kushner held two-and-a- to a true relationship, where half hours of talks with Prime there is overt, public and stra- Minister Benjamin Netanya- tegic collaboration - what hu in Jerusalem on Wednes- I call ‘above the table,’ not day afternoon, before going below it - remains the Pales- to Ramallah and talks with PA tinian question.” President Mahmoud Abbas, as Therefore, he said, a new the US continues to sound out way forward is needed, one the sides about renewing nego- that integrates the regional tiations. approach with a traditional Kushner was accompanied in his meeting with Netanyahu by negotiation. The engagement of the US Mideast envoy Jason Green- blatt and Ambassador David region would provide “the Friedman. Netanyahu was strength to help carry any PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu meets in Jerusalem yesterday with (from left), US Mideast joined by his chief of staff, Yoav peace process,” he said. “It envoy Jason Creenblatt, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, adviser to the president Jared Horowitz, and Ambassador to gives the Israelis the comfort Kushner and Ambassador to US Ron Dermer. (Amos Ben-Gershom/GPO) the US Ron Dermer. of knowing that the region Following the meeting, the as a whole stands behind any White House issued a state- ican officials “underscored that perity and peace, and - Jared -1 fying terrorism. agreement with the Palestin- ment, saying, “The three Unit- forging peace will take time welcome you here in that spirit. The administration has ians and offers Israel the huge ed States officials discussed and the importance of doing I know of your efforts and the made clear it has no plans prize of normalization.” Israel’s priorities and potential everything possible to create president’s efforts, and I look at this time to convene a And, Blair added, “it gives next steps with Prime Minister an environment conducive to forward to working with you to Trump-Netanyahu-Abb as the Palestinians the reassur- Netanyahu, acknowledging the peacemaking.” achieve these common goals.” summit or to put forward a ance that any agreement will critical role Israel plays in the Welcoming Kushner to his The prime minister laud- road map or framework for be supported by the wider security of the region.” office, Netanyahu said, “This ed Trump’s visit to Israel last getting back to negotiations. Arab and Muslim world and In addition, the statement is an opportunity to pursue our month, calling it a “historic In addition to sounding gives them local partners in said that the Israeli and Amer- common goals of security, pros- trip” and saying the president out the steps that Israel and the building of the Palestin- was “greeted here with fantastic the Palestinians are willing ian state. Crucially, it can help warmth, and he made an indel- to take, the US is exploring bring about the unification of ible impression on the people the degree to which the Sau- Palestinian politics - an abso- of Israel.” dis and other Sunni states are lutely essential precondition The meetings come as the willing to become involved in of peace - but on a basis fully Trump administration con- the process, while making no consistent with peace.” tinues to talk in general terms concrete demands of them. To forge this path, he said, about its desire to broker an Transportation and Intel- “we must break with some of -of peacemak ׳ligence Minister Israel Katz the ‘theology See KUSHNER, Page 10 took the regional idea a step ing which has become hal- further, and at the Herzliya lowed doctrine over the past Conference on Wednesday 25 years.” KUSHNER called on Saudi King Sal- While he said that there Continued from Page 1 man to invite Netanyahu can be no separate “economic for talks. Katz said that grad- peace” distinct from a polit- agreement, but has given no ual steps toward normaliza- ical solution, he added that concrete indication about tion between Israel and the “measures on the ground, how it plans to bring that Gulf states could take place building peace from the bot- about. At this stage Wash- in parallel to Israeli-Palestin- tom up, provide vital ballast ington is looking for com- ian negotiations, adding that to any political process.” mitments by the sides in normalization would build Blair called for a step-by-step the peace process, and for Israelis’ confidence in a peace political process where confi- steps that could be taken to process. dence is built over time. improve the atmosphere. “Israel should offer Saudi “This is not the same as At the same time, and in Arabia and the Gulf states so-called ‘interim solu- sharp contrast with the pre- security and intelligence tions’ which Palestinians vious US administration, it cooperation to stop Iran fear become permanent; it has not spelled out exactly and its proxies, in return for is, rather, a recognition that what those steps are, beyond gradual normalization in the without an organic evolution general statements regarding air, land and sea,” he said, toward statehood, we are left a need for Israel to moderate “a regional security axis in with an ‘all or nothing’ posi- settlement construction, and return for regional economic tion which so far has actual- for the Palestinian Authority peace.” ly resulted not in ‘all’ but in to stop encouraging or glori­ There is no regional secu- nothing,” he said. rity without Israel, Katz Likewise, he added, nor- said, telling the Gulf states, malization between the Arab “When Israel is strong, you world and Israel “can be are strong, and when we are turned into a process rather strong together, Iran is made than a one-off event. Sensi- weaker.” tivity to the politics of both A regional approach to Israelis and Arabs should lead peace was also advocated at us to create a set of interlock- Herzliya by former British ing points where everyone prime minister Tony Blair, gets comfortable that change who said that a new path to is happening, but in a way peace exists today. which is manageable.” •