Washington - US President Donald Trump
is "very fond" of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and is
willing to engage him on the US peace proposal at the right
time, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said on
Wednesday.
Kushner, briefing reporters on a conference call, also
hinted the US peace plan might call on Palestinian refugees to
permanently settle where they are rather than return to lands
now in Israel.
At a workshop in Bahrain last week, Kushner unveiled a $50
billion economic plan for the Palestinian territories, Jordan,
Egypt and Lebanon.
Sometime later this year, he is to outline a 50- to 60-page
page plan that will offer proposals on resolving the thorny
political issues between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Palestinians have harshly criticized the economic plan.
"Our door is always open to the Palestinian leadership,"
Kushner said.
He said he believes Abbas wants peace but "certain people
around him are very uncomfortable with the way we’ve approached
this and their natural reaction is to attack and say crazy
things" that are not constructive.