New envoy for Trump peace plan meets with Israeli leaders for first time
by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Avi Berkowitz, who replaced Jason Greenblatt as the US envoy for the Trump Administration’s “Deal of the Century,” met with leaders in Israel this week for the first time as officials in Jerusalem and Washington said the US may release its peace plan before third Israeli elections on March 2.
Trump and US officials had originally wanted to release the plan, the economic portion of which was revealed by senior adviser Jared Kushner at the Bahrain Middle East economic workshop over the summer, after Israeli elections yielded a definite government, but have reportedly changed their tack.
Berkowitz, 31, met with US ambassador to Israel David Friedman at his Herzliya home on Monday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday, but also is believed to have met with left-wing Netanyahu rival Benny Gantz of the Blue and White party.
Myriad conflicting reports have surfaced about the “Deal of the Century” that promises to resolve Israel’s conflict with Palestinians in the land, some reports saying that it will divide Jerusalem and create a Palestinian state, and others saying it forswears the two-state solution and will offer a wider freedom for Israel to take back territory.