Abbas looks to new Saudi crown prince for Mideast initiative

The June 21 meeting at Palestinian Authority (PA) headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah between Palestinian representatives and President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoys, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, left the hosts stunned. “And that’s putting it mildly,” a top Palestinian source told Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity.

Their biggest disappointment was Greenblatt, who had previously seemed to them devoid of prejudice and also efficient and determined. They had gotten the impression at the beginning of his mission that he was not easily swayed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the source said. He added, however, the combination of Greenblatt and Kushner does not bode well for the Palestinians. On certain issues, the two sounded as if they were parroting Netanyahu, for instance on the subject of PA payments to the families of jailed Palestinians, including terrorists, and the incitement that Israel accuses the Palestinians of fostering in schools and the media.