Jared Kushner, son-in-law of the American president and architect of the American peace plan for the Middle East, defended Thursday, February 6, before the United Nations Security Council (UN), the need to break with " habits " for "The most difficult problem in the world".
“People want to see new ideas and progress. We had very constructive discussions with everyone ” of the countries present "And we want to work together with the council and other countries to make progress", he detailed after his meeting in a media interview.
“What we are doing is just fighting habits (…). People have been in the habit for so long, or say the same things, publish the same press releases ”, he lamented.
For more than two hours, Jared Kushner presented the American peace plan, with maps and graphics, showing that the parallel developments of the Israeli settlements and Palestinian aspirations were going to come to a point of no return for the creation of a Palestinian state. .
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Dedications
Several countries, including the United Kingdom or Belgium, judged after the meeting that the meeting had been " very interesting ". According to a diplomat, some of the Council members present at the meeting were even signed by Jared Kushner of the American plan which was given to them in the form of a large book.
According to the American adviser, the recent publication of the plan has caused "A ton of cracks" in the approach of several states. He cited in particular the European Union which, according to him, "Was unable to have a consensus statement" on the plan.
He also said that he had seen the member countries of the Arab League "Neutral statements" or "In support", and "Very few negative statements". "We are able to convince more and more people that this is the way to go. People are tired of this conflict and realize that it is in their national interest to find a solution ", he also said.
The American project retains a "Two-state solution" and proposes to create a capital of a Palestinian state in Abu Dis, a suburb of Jerusalem, when the Palestinians want to make the whole of East Jerusalem the capital of their state.
It also includes an annexation of the Israeli settlements, as well as of the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, a Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, with borders breaking with the lines drawn at the time.
"Sit at a table"
When asked if Israel could be flexible on the issue of East Jerusalem, Jared Kushner replied: "This is a question for both parties. This is what we arrived at for Israel to accept the start of negotiations (…). The only way to know how flexible Israel is ready for the Palestinians to sit at a table and try to negotiate. "
The American plan "Could be the last chance" for the Palestinians to have a state, also said Jared Kushner, stressing that Israel had accepted this prospect. "This is why it is important to go ahead with a recognition agreement" of a Palestinian state "In exchange for a freeze" settlements, he insisted.
"It is very very difficult to have a contiguous state where you can drive from one end to the other", he also argued, claiming to be "Pragmatic". He said a commission would soon be created with Israel to have a more detailed map of the possibility of having a Palestinian state. "Without checkpoints in the middle".
In considering that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had " a responsability " in the violence of recent days in Israel, the American adviser stressed at the same time that the door remained open. "If the Palestinians want to negotiate" the plan, "When they come to the table and negotiate". "If they come to the table, then there may be flexibility from the Israeli government", he estimated.
"We don't solve problems with great principles"
Asked about the prospect of a Palestinian-inspired draft resolution condemning the US plan on Tuesday, Jared Kushner said he expected "With the same tiresome arguments" than in the past. "They had better take the lines (of the American plan) one after the other and say which ones they agree with and which ones they reject".
“If you want a state, you have to show that you are ready for a functioning state. People who are ready to have a state do not go out and demand "days of anger" and pushing their people to violence when they don't have what they want ".
Jared Kushner notably criticized Mahmoud Abbas for not having the will to achieve peace. "When we met – I have met him personally four times –, I never felt like he was ready to go into detail, either because it wasn’t his thing, or because he didn’t know what he wanted to accomplish ", he said.
"He likes big principles but we don't solve problems with big principles", he asserted.