Trump's envoy visits Gulf to promote 'deal of century'

By Abdul Jabbar Abu Ras

ISTANBUL (AA) – U.S. President Donald Trump's senior adviser, Jared Kushner, is visiting the Gulf region to promote a U.S. plan for peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

Kushner, peace envoy Jason Greenblatt and special representative for Iran Brian Hook met on Monday with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.

Talks between the two sides focused on bilateral relations and U.S. efforts to promote peace between the Palestinians and Israel, the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Additionally, they discussed ways to improve the entire region through economic investment," the statement read.

The three U.S. officials also visited Oman, where they held talks with Sultan Qaboos bin Said on Monday.

An embassy statement said the talks dwelt on U.S.-Omani cooperation and Trump's efforts for peacemaking between the Palestinians and Israel as well as ways to "improve the condition of the entire region through economic investment".

U.S. media say Kushner's tour aims to brief its regional allies about Trump's so-called "deal of the century" – a backchannel plan to reach a peace settlement between the Palestinians and Israel.

The terms of Washington's peace plan remain vague. But according to recent speculation, Palestinian refugees will be asked to concede their right to return to historical Palestine, from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.