The Memo: Against the odds, Trump renews push on Middle East peace

President Trump is pushing for a historic breakthrough between Israel and the Palestinians, but the lack of specifics in his approach has left some foreign policy experts scratching their heads.

Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner will travel to the region on Wednesday. The administration’s special envoy, Jason Greenblatt, arrived in Israel on Monday.

The trip by the two men is the latest high-profile move from an administration that has displayed keen engagement on the issue.
Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in February. The president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, visited in May.

Later the same month, Trump visited both men on their home turfs during his first major international trip. By contrast, his immediate predecessors, former President Obama and former President George W. Bush, did not visit Israel until their second terms.

Trump has also been bullish about the prospects of lasting peace, a quest that has thwarted all presidents, including those such as former President Clinton, who devoted considerable time and energy to the search. Trump has called an Israeli-Palestinian accord the “ultimate deal.”

 

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