White House Hosts Meeting of Israeli, Arab Gulf Officials on Aid for Gaza

The White House quietly brought together officials from Israel and Arab states in the same room for the first time Tuesday, a conference aimed at relieving the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The six-hour meeting was convened in an ornate room of the Eisenhower office building adjacent to the White House, hosted by senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, the president’s special representative for Middle East peace talks.

A total of 20 countries attended, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, as well as representatives from the United Nations and the European Union.

“The situation in Gaza must be solved for humanitarian reasons and for ensuring the security of Egypt and Israel,” the White House said in a statement Wednesday. “It is also a necessary step toward reaching a comprehensive peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, including Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.”

However, officials from the Palestinian Authority did not accept an invitation to the White House to attend. Palestinians are angered at Mr. Trump’s decision late last year to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to move the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Read full article by Dave Boyer on The Washington Times, March 14, 2018.