Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday expressed optimism about the highly-anticipated Middle East peace plan led by presidential son-in-law and senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, despite new Israeli-Palestinian violence and a breakdown in U.S. communications with the Palestinians.
“I’m very confident that what was tried before failed,” Mr. Pompeo said during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “I’m optimistic that what we’re doing will give us a better likelihood that we’ll achieve the outcomes that will be better for both the Israelis and the Palestinians as well.”
Rep. David Price, North Carolina Democrat, pressed Mr. Pompeo on the benefits of President Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and absorbing the U.S. consulate general which served Palestinians into the new U.S. embassy.
“Those are all things that are different, what went before didn’t work,” Mr. Pompeo responded. “Decades of trying the old way failed to resolve this conflict.”
Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Nita Lowey, New York Democrat, asked the secretary when what she called the “Jared Kushner peace plan” wold finally be released, pointing to the long history of failed attempts to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“In less than 20 years,” Mr. Pompeo candidly responded.
“We want to make sure we have it as complete and as effective as good as we know how to do,” he added. “When we get there, we’ll unveil it.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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