Kushner on his Peace Deal: ‘The people in the region are tired of war’

US President Donald Trump’s son-in law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner touted the new Arab-Israel peace pact on Tuesday as the beginning of “a new Middle East” and hinted that WH administration under Trump is looking to engage more countries of the Gulf including Saudi Arabia to recognize the Jewish state. His comments hailing the deal came hours after a WH ceremony recognized as Abraham Accords, the first of its kind facilitated by White House in over two decades.

“I think we had a very good breakthrough. What’s happened is in the Middle East, the deals have been so well received. That’s what helped Bahrain go quickly. They saw how well the deal was received in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the Muslim world. The people in the region are tired of war,” Kushner told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on “The Situation Room.”

“They’re tired of conflict. They want to move forward, and they see bridging this gap and getting a better understanding between countries as a way to move forward.”

Asked particularly about the Saudi Kingdom’s chance of normalizing relations with Israel, the senior adviser said US equation with Saudis under his father-in-law has improved a lot in the last three years.

“Quite frankly, also, when we put out our vision for peace you saw the Palestinian leadership reject it before it even came out — before they knew what was in it,” he said.

“So, people are getting a little tired with the tactics played by the Palestinian leaders. They want to help the Palestinian people, but they’re not going to allow them to hold back the national interest of all these different countries.”

President Trump has praised his son-in-law for inking a deal with United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to bring normalization in the volatile Middle East. The foundation of political, diplomatic and economic ties with the both countries are a signal that Kushner’s back-door diplomacy worked. The deal was announced by Trump himself last month when he informed reporters from the Oval office that he had a “very special call” with Israel’s PM Netanyahu and UAE Prince Mohamed bin Zayed and that both are up for a peace deal brokered by America.

“We are here this afternoon to change the course of history. After decades of division and conflict we mark the dawn of a new Middle East.” Trump said earlier Tuesday.

“Thanks to great courage of the leaders of these three countries, we take a major stride toward a future in which people of all faiths and backgrounds live together in peace and prosperity.”

Middle East peace process is surely a victory for the Republican President who suffered a retreat against COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in 200,000 deaths in the country. Still, many attendees were not wearing masks at a ceremony that comes against the backdrop of deadly disease. Kushner said WH administration at the event were checked for virus and asserted that people know their risk profile at this point of the pandemic that is not over yet.

“At the end of the day in America we still have to figure out how to live our lives,” he said.

“We’re not going to all lock ourselves in our home because of the pandemic. I think we know a lot more today. We know who is at risk, we know how to mitigate the risk and we’re all going to act accordingly.”