At the invitation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt attended the 28th Arab League Summit this week in Jordan. As an observer at the Summit, Mr. Greenblatt did not endorse the speeches given or resolutions approved by the assembled Arab League member states. Rather, he listened to their views and ideas, and held a round of bilateral meetings with Arab leaders and other foreign delegations to discuss U.S. perspectives and policies. The dialogue at the meetings was open, frank, and helpful.
In his meetings, Mr. Greenblatt focused on how tangible progress could be made toward advancing Middle East peace, including a comprehensive agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. He reaffirmed President Trump’s personal interest in achieving a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians and his belief that such a peace agreement is not only possible, but would reverberate positively throughout the region and the world. Mr. Greenblatt welcomed hearing the perspectives of Arab leaders on Israeli-Palestinian issues and highlighted the important role regional partners can play in the pursuit of peace. Mr. Greenblatt also urged against unhelpful public rhetoric which only serves to make the path to peace harder.
Greenblatt made clear that he was not in the region to impose ideas or peace plans on others. He reiterated that peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be negotiated directly between the two parties, and that the United States will work closely with Israel and the Palestinians to make progress toward the goal that they pursue. He also discussed how to meaningfully enable the growth of the Palestinian economy and promote economic opportunities for Palestinians so they can reach their full potential and contribute as full partners in efforts to build a peaceful future free of terrorism and extremism.
Mr. Greenblatt plans to continue his discussions with those regional partners who offered their assistance, benefitting from their advice on how to move towards a more peaceful future, and relying on their support and partnership as we all work to achieve that goal.
