FOREIGN POLICY/ISRAEL/JARED KUSHNER/PALESTINE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the deadliest day of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza War unfolded on Monday [5-14-18], White House senior adviser Jared Kushner addressed a crowd at the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem and said he believes ‘peace is within reach…’Kushner’s remarks at the embassy opening on Monday amounted to his most significant policy speech to date and the jarring split screen on Monday underscored the enormity of the undertaking the President’s son-in-law has been tasked with — and the challenges his efforts have faced so far. The speech was also a rare public appearance for Kushner, who has kept a low public profile, particularly as the special counsel’s investigation and security clearance issues have dogged him in recent months…But Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his decision to move the US Embassy to the holy city threw the biggest wrench to date in the administration’s peace-brokering efforts, with Palestinian leaders refusing to engage the administration since the December announcement. Since then, Kushner and other senior administration officials have insisted they are forging ahead on crafting a peace proposal and have sought to frame the President’s Jerusalem decision as one that is fostering the right conditions for peace.”
-Jeremy Diamond, “Kushner’s split screen moment in Jerusalem,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, May 14, 2018 1:12 pm