White House senior adviser Jared Kushner says he will join Israeli delegation on first direct flight to Morocco
JERUSALEM – White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner announced on Monday that he will join an Israeli delegation on the first direct flight to Morocco to celebrate the US-brokered agreement that will strengthen ties between the two countries in the Middle East. establishes.
The flight, scheduled to depart Tuesday, marks the fourth diplomatic pact signed by the Trump administration between Israel and an Arab country. The agreements, known as “the Abraham Accords”, have reshaped the Middle East and reflect a shared concern among many Arab countries and Israel about Iran and a departure from the traditional focus on the Palestinian struggle for independence.
At a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kushner said the agreements reflected “common sense” and the government’s new approach to the Middle East.
“The results are really what matters and I think we have achieved some historic results together,” said Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
“As this new Middle East progresses, I hope all countries will focus on pursuing common interests for the benefit of their citizens, rather than being held back by old thinking and old conflicts,” he added.
Since August, the US has entered into agreements to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
Netanyahu praised Kushner for showing “how wrong these naysayers were,” saying Israel is “deeply indebted” to the Trump administration.
The accords have been criticized both for containing generous US arms sales to Arab countries and for sidelining the Palestinian issue.
The Palestinians cut ties with the US after Trump recognized the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017. The Palestinians rejected Trump’s Middle East plan early this year, paving the way for the US to focus on the separate agreements between Israel and Arab countries.
Netanyahu, who has maintained close ties with Trump, presented Kushner with a plaque of appreciation. Earlier on Monday, he also joined Kushner in planting trees in the new “Kushner Garden of Peace” in a Jerusalem forest.