The man who helped President Donald Trump generate historic progress in Middle East peace has created his own foundation to strengthen the agreements he helped build between Israel and several Arab countries.
Axios reports Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior advisor to the President, has founded a non-partisan, non-profit organization which will be known as the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace.
Signed in September of 2020, the Abraham Accords were probably the 45th President’s best foreign policy achievement, according to Middle East observers. It also turned out to be the biggest improvement in relations between Israel and the Arab world in 25 years.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told CBN News at the time, “I think we are at the beginning of the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict,” Friedman said, adding that if more Arab countries form relations with Israel, “the old narrative, the old grievances kind of collapse on themselves. And I think we’re really at the beginning of a very hopeful period in the Middle East.”
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Foundation’s Focus
Kushner’s new foundation will have a five-year directive and will be privately funded. It will focus on increasing trade and tourism between the five signatory countries — Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, Morocco, and Sudan — and developing programs to foster people-to-people connections between the countries, according to Axios.
In addition, it will also “provide analysis of the benefits of normalization and the potential benefits additional Arab countries can receive if they join the Abraham Accords.”
Kushner, 40, also has five important partners in the new organization. They include former White House envoy Avi Berkowitz, Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban, the Emirati and Bahraini ambassadors to Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, and Abdulla R. Al-Khalifa, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.
“The energy and enthusiasm for the Accords across the region is truly remarkable,” the organization said in a joint statement.
“In less than a year, this warm peace is melting decades of misunderstanding and hostility across the region. This is a peace among peoples as much as it is among nations. This will be the institute’s focus – to nurture and deepen these human connections,” the statement said.
The Only Realistic Peace Plan That Addresses Israel’s Interests
As CBN News reported last December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu honored Kushner when they met in Jerusalem before signing the agreement with Morroco.
Netanyahu said when President Trump first appointed Kushner that “so-called experts, belittled” his appointment.
“Over the years I’ve met countless individuals from different countries who have tried to advance peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu said. “They all espoused noble values, noble intentions, they all thought to leave their mark, but few, I think none actually, had greater success than you, Jared.”
Netanyahu noted that Trump’s Abraham initiative had led to four peace agreements in a few months and said there would be more to come.
“In doing all this, Jared, you’ve successfully reinforced American leadership in the Middle East and in Middle East peacemaking. I think you’ve greatly enhanced American standing in the region” Netanyahu said.
“You also had a pivotal role in President Trump’s peace plan. It’s the only realistic peace plan that has been presented so far that addresses Israel’s fundamental national security interests and other interests,” he added.
Netanyahu presented Kushner with a plaque recognizing him for “his historic contribution to the Abraham Accords, the normalization of Israel’s relations with the Arab and Muslim world, and to peace in the Middle East.”
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