President Trump’s special envoy Jason Greenblatt with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Tuesday, a day after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Greenblatt, an Orthodox Jew and real estate attorney who was a close confidant of Trump prior to his election, arrived in Israel earlier this week for a fact-finding mission as the White House mulls its policy towards Israel, the peace process, and Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria.
During his meeting with the Palestinian Authority leader, Greenblatt discussed President Trump’s stated desire to help the two sides reach a negotiated final status agreement to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
In that vein, the two addressed the negotiating process, possible upgrades to the Palestinian Authority’s paramilitary security forces, and the ongoing problem of anti-Semitic incitement within the PA.
“Just met with Palestinian President Abbas,” Greenblatt tweeted after the meeting. “We had a positive, far-ranging exchange about the current situation. President Abbas & I discussed how to make progress toward peace, building capacity of Palestinian security forces & stopping incitement.”
Earlier, Greenblatt spoke with the founders of startup companies within the Palestinian Authority to discuss economic growth in the region.
The Trump administration has emphasized its desire to grow the Palestinian Authority’s economy, as a statement issued by the US Embassy in Israel noted: "Trump's strong interest in enabling the growth of the Palestinian economy and improving the quality of life for Palestinians."