Joint interview: Senior Adviser Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz foresee a rosy future for the region • "The peoples will get closer to each other and learn to know each other"
Berkowitz and Kushner
Photography:
Courtesy of the US Embassy in Israel
Less than a month before the expected end of the term of the outgoing US President, Donald Trump, his son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy to the Middle East, Avi Berkowitz, tell Israel Today about their experiences and memories of the turbulent four years.
In a joint interview with Morocco to be published tomorrow in the "Israel of the Week" supplement, Kushner states that he believes the Trump administration was "the most pro-Israel I can imagine."
However, he adds in the same breath, "We were also the most supportive government in the Arab-Muslim world. We built trust by standing by our allies and partners. President Trump enjoyed the trust of the peoples in the region, and it gave us the ability to advance initiatives."
Far-reaching steps
Berkowitz, who replaced Jason Greenblatt more than a year ago, recalled that as early as 2017, on Trump's first flight from Saudi Arabia to Israel, he realized that policy breakthroughs could be made.
"I remember myself taking pictures of the flight path on the plane. It showed us even then that things do not have to be as they were. The right I had later, to work on the Abrahamic Agreements, proved it."
In an interview this week, the two explain that the very existence of the non-establishment government allowed them to think differently and originally, which gave rise to far-reaching steps such as the American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Berkowitz also reveals that four years ago, the leaders of the region heard about their desire to regulate relations with Israel.
"Since I'm talking to you from Morocco, I can not help but think about what happened here. King of Morocco, talking to Israel's National Security Adviser.
"From the first day we entered government, Arab leaders said they wanted to make peace, but the difficulty was getting out what we heard behind the scenes. Hearing and seeing today what I knew all these years was an amazing moment that will affect millions of Israelis. Even if my time in government comes to an end "I feel good that the peoples are getting closer and getting to know each other, that new kosher restaurants are opening in Morocco and that this will continue long after I am not in government," Berkowitz predicted.
The full interview tomorrow in the "Israel of the Week" supplement of "Israel Today".
