Kushner meeting makes Gantz look ‘prime ministerial’

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer also took part in the meeting.

OCTOBER 28, 2019 21:03

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz meets with Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, Jared Kushner, accompanied by Blue and White no.2, Yair Lapid, and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, October 28 2019 (photo credit: JERIES MANSOUR/U.S. EMBASSY JERUSALEM) — Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz meets with Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, Jared Kushner, accompanied by Blue and White no.2, Yair Lapid, and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, October 28 2019

(photo credit: JERIES MANSOUR/U.S. EMBASSY JERUSALEM)

For the last three years, the only meetings US senior adviser Jared Kushner held publicly in Jerusalem were with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The drill was predictable. Kushner would arrive, a brief video of Netanyahu greeting him before their meeting – and perhaps a few innocuous comments at the start of the meeting – would be released to the press, along with a laconic statement that the two discussed the region and the strength of bilateral ties.

On Monday, in an indication that if a new era had not exactly dawned, it was peeping through the lattice, Kushner added another visitor on his agenda: Blue and White head Benny Gantz. And, as was always the routine with Netanyahu, a brief video of the two shaking hands – though this one was soundless – was sent out to the press, as well as a very brief statement.

Both Gantz and the US embassy issued identical statements: “They discussed the strong relationship and unbreakable alliance between the United States and Israel, and the ongoing developments in the Middle East.”

This was Kushner’s first public meeting with Gantz, who was joined by MK Yair Lapid. Joining Kushner from the American side were US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, new Mideast negotiator Avi Berkowitz and special envoy to Iran Brian Hook. And even if this was not Kushner’s intent, the meeting itself made Gantz look – at least in the soundless video – “prime ministerial.”

Following the encounter, which took place at the US Embassy in Jerusalem’s annex on Agron Street, the US team went up the road to the Prime Minister’s Office for a meeting with Netanyahu. There, too, the embassy released a brief video, this one showing Kushner hugging Netanyahu – he only gave Gantz a handshake – and a brief statement acknowledging the meeting took place and saying that Netanyahu was joined by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer.

The Prime Minister’s Office put out the exact same text and pictures.

No information of the content of that meeting was released.

In addition to their meetings with Gantz and Netanyahu, the US team also paid a visit Monday to the Western Wall.

Kushner’s visit here – before going to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to take part in an economic conference – is believed to be an attempt to get a lay of the political landscape to determine when it would be best for the US to release its long-delayed peace plan.

Kushner’s meetings with Netanyahu and Gantz came a day after democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said in a 60 Minutes interview that had did not think Kushner should be dealing with Mideast diplomatic issues.

“You don’t think that Jared Kushner should be negotiating a Middle East peace solution?” Biden was asked.

“No I don’t,” he replied, laughing. “I don’t. What – what credentials does he bring to that?”