Dubai: The US administration’s Middle East peace deal is focusing mainly on freedom and respect as the key to put an end to the long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“We have focused on four core principles. The first of which is freedom, where people should enjoy their rights of opportunity, religion and worship, regardless of their beliefs, as well as respect,” Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, said in an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia.
The US peace deal will seek to resolve border issues and promote freedom of religion, Kushner told the Abu Dhabi–based Arabic news channel in what is believed to be the first time a US official has reveal the broad outlines of Washington’s long-awaited peace deal.
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump promised to find a solution to end the 71-year conflict, but the details of the plan have not been announced yet.
Kushner highlighted the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of many details of the peace deal. “We have examined the previous negotiations and we found that the details are unveiled even before the maturity of the peace deal, forcing politicians to abandon the plan,” he said.
The negotiating situation “hasn’t changed much” during the past 25 years, Kushner said. He added: “What we have been trying now is to articulate a realistic and just solution to these issues that will allow people to live a better life.”
“The dignity of people should be safeguarded…. they should respect each other and benefit from available opportunities to improve their lives, without allowing the forefathers’ conflicts to threaten their children’s future and security,” he said.
Kushner expressed hope in finding a new approach to solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. He affirmed his endeavour to arrive at a detailed plan that puts previous differences aside.
“We could not convince the Palestinian and Israeli people to make concessions. Therefore, we have not focused so much on the disputed issues although we have examined them deeply. We want the Palestinian people to make the most of their full capabilities, and the Israeli people to properly integration in the whole region,” Kushner said.
