Washington - Saba:
Ahead of Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East next week, CNN reported Friday evening that the person assisting US administration officials behind the scenes is Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and advisor during his first term, who played a major role in persuading Gulf states to normalize relations with Israel.
US administration officials told CNN that he is informally advising the current administration on negotiations with Arab leaders.
According to the same sources, although Kushner is not expected to join Trump on his upcoming trip to the region, he has been extensively involved in discussions with Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, regarding the signing of normalization agreements with Israel.
The president's top priority next week is reaching economic agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, the three countries he will visit during his visit.
But according to sources who spoke to CNN, Kushner and other advisers to the president also privately planned for the more ambitious goal of expanding the Abraham Accords.
Kushner played a key role in mobilizing the UAE to sign the normalization agreement with Israel in 2020. According to the sources who spoke to CNN, he closely advised President Trump's broader team on how to handle sensitive conversations with Saudi leaders during the upcoming visit. It has not yet been reported that Kushner briefed administration officials on preparations for the visit.
Sources involved in the talks with Arab leaders said the Trump administration has no illusions that an agreement with Riyadh will be signed during the visit, but they see the face-to-face meetings between the president and Saudi leaders as an excellent opportunity for progress.
"We fully expect other countries to sign agreements before Saudi Arabia," said a senior administration official involved in the talks, adding that administration officials are in talks with "a wide range of countries."
The White House sees Kushner as a crucial factor in helping to reach such agreements. Another administration official told CNN, "When it comes to the Middle East, Jared is an expert." "He knows all the players, and he is one of the few people who garners the attention of Arab leaders, as well as Israelis."
Reuters reported on Tuesday that Trump had dropped the demand for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel in exchange for US assistance to Riyadh in developing a civilian nuclear program. Reuters described the US's cancellation of the demand for a broad normalization agreement as a "major concession" by Washington in the ongoing talks on this issue with Riyadh.
| more of (International) |