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Special US Envoy Reports ‘Important Progress’ in Mideast Peace


Jason Greenblatt, center, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, arrives to visit Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just outside the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Aug. 30, 2017.
Jason Greenblatt, center, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, arrives to visit Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just outside the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Aug. 30, 2017.

U.S. special Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt was in Israel Sunday as part of the Trump administration’s attempt to get Israel-Palestinian peace talks back on track.

Greenblatt tweeted that “important progress” was made.

“Meaningful steps forward on key economic issues — revenues, customs, and investment — that help support the search for peace,” he said.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 24, 2017, to meet behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 24, 2017, to meet behind closed doors before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was also at the talks in Ramallah which included Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Israeli Finance Minster Moshe Khaon, and top Israeli defense ministry official Yoav Mordechai.

A White House official said Monday President Trump believes peace can only be reached through direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians and that no settlement can be imposed on them.

The official also said Greenblatt and Kushner stopped in Saudi Arabia on their way to Israel, but gave no details.

The Mideast peace process has been stalled for several years, primarily over Israeli settlement activity and Palestinian militant violence against Israelis.

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