Jason Greenblatt
Jason GreenblattFlash 90

The newly-presented Middle East peace plan unveiled by President Trump Tuesday would likely be abandoned if Trump loses the presidential election this November, former White House special envoy Jason Greenblatt warned, urging the Palestinian Authority to return to negotiations with Israel, using the new plan as a framework.

Speaking with Amichai Stein, from Israel’s Kan Channel 11, after the release of the peace plan Tuesday, Greenblatt said that if President Trump is defeated by a Democrat this November, the peace plan could be in danger, since the new president will be unlikely to adopt it. "Instead of criticizing it, it needs to be implemented."

While Greenblatt believes Trump will be reelected this November, “If no deal is reached during Trump’s tenure and a Democrat is elected to sit in the White House, then the plan presented today will be in danger.”

Greenblatt rejected claims that the release of the US peace plan ahead of the Israeli election constituted political interference.

“There is a never a good time to release a plan solving a conflict. And truthfully, we did feel in the two previous elections that this would have been interference, but the fact that both Netanyahu and Gantz accepted the plan should remove the question and concerns about political interference.”

The former Trump envoy said that the plan calls for major concessions from both sides – but also offers a great deal to both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

“Over the last three years, we listened to the Israelis, to the Palestinians, and to the region. Everyone gives something up in this deal, and everyone benefits from it. I hope that the Palestinian leadership will change its mind and go forward on the path to peace.”

Regarding the generally positive responses from a number of Arab countries to the plan, Greenblatt said he “wasn’t surprised.”

“I think that they are representing the position that the time has come to create a different situation. You can see that a great deal has changed in terms of relations between Israel and the Arab world in recent years, you saw ambassadors from Arab states were at the unveiling [of the plan].”