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WASHINGTON – President Trump's special envoy for peace in the Middle East, Jason Greenblatt, will leave the administration, a senior Trump official said, raising new questions about a long-delayed plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Greenblatt has been working closely since early 2017 with Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, to design what Mr. Trump called "the ultimate deal." But their secret plan has been delayed for several months, and it is unclear when it will be released – and if Mr Greenblatt will be present for the launch.
Trump officials said the plan will not be released until after the September 17 Israeli elections, which will determine the fate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of Trump who oversaw the expansionist policies in the occupied West Bank. The vote, if it is close, could be followed by months of political galleys to form a coalition government, which could delay further publication of the plan.
On Thursday, the Trump official said about the plan that: "The vision is now complete and will be published as appropriate".
From here, Mr. Greenblatt, a former longtime Trump Organization lawyer, may have returned to private life. He accepted a huge pay cut in early 2017 when he took up his position at the White House for an annual salary of about $ 180,000. His wife and six children stayed at home in Teaneck, New Jersey. It is not known whether Mr Greenblatt will return to the Trump Organization after leaving the government.
Mr Greenblatt will remain at work "in the coming period," said the manager. The lack of will to remain until the publication of the plan can only raise doubts as to its viability, which many experts and regional officials already doubt to get out of the impasse which reigns for several decades between Israel and the Palestinians. Some critics of the Trump administration expect it to be an essentially political document designed to reinforce Mr. Netanyahu, assuming he survives this month's election, and to assert Mr. Trump's position on the national plane alongside conservative Jews and evangelical Christians in favor of Israeli territorial expansion.
But Trump officials say their peace effort is serious and draws lessons from the mistakes of several previous administrations, although they have so far provided little more than just call for major new economic development in Palestinian areas.
After Mr Greenblatt's departure, Avi Berkowitz, Kushner's advisor, will become "more involved in the process," said the Trump official. Brian Hook, Special Representative of the State Department for Iran, will do the same.
Hook has already worked closely on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, a reflection of the Trump team's theory that Israel and its Sunni enemies can unite against a common enemy: the Shiite-led government in Tehran.
Mr Hook joined Mr Kushner and Mr Greenblatt for an exchange of views. The mid-summer tour of the Middle East was aimed at gaining the support of Arab leaders, whom they hope will gain support for a peace proposal that should require far more concessions from Palestinians than Israelis. The Trump administration is closely linked to Netanyahu's government on security and territorial issues, while adopting an openly accusing stance towards Palestinian leaders.
"It has been an honor for me to work in the White House for more than two and a half years under the leadership of President Trump," Greenblatt said in a statement. "I am extremely grateful to have been part of a team that has developed a vision for peace. This vision has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of millions of Israelis, Palestinians and others in the region. "
Mr. Kushner added in a statement that Mr. Greenblatt "has done a remarkable job in leading efforts to develop an economic and political vision of a much-desired peace in the Middle East," saying that he would remain a "friend and close partner."
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