Greenblatt: Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not Israel, are the problem
Jason Greenblatt speaks at the United Nations in May about Palestinian terrorist groups
As I drove out of the White House complex Thursday and ended my role as President Trump’s special envoy seeking peace and normalized relations between Israel, Palestinians and Israel’s other Arab neighbors, I was both wistful and excited.
Wistful because while much has changed over these past few years, there is much more to do – so many lives to help improve, and so many steps to take in the decades-long search for Arab-Israeli peace.
The conflict between Arabs and Israelis has raged both before and since the establishment of the modern-day state of Israel in 1948. As President Trump has often pointed out, this conflict will only be resolved by the countries of the region, not by other countries (or groups of countries) around the world or by international organizations. Under the president’s leadership, we have moved forward to bring regional leaders closer to the long-sought goal of peace.
On a personal level, I was excited as I drove through the ornate White House gates because I was heading home to New Jersey – not only to see my incredible wife and six wonderful children but also to once again live at home with them, as a husband and a father.
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I still remember the unintended recent stinging comment of my 8-year-old daughter: “Abba [Daddy] I don’t remember what it was like to have you live at home with us.” I can’t blame her for her honesty – after all, she was only 5 when I moved to Washington to join the Trump administration.
I would like to thank President Trump for giving me the opportunity to serve our amazing country and to be part of a group of people, led by Jared Kushner, who worked on our noble mission.
I am also grateful for the many meaningful discussions we had with many of the leaders in the Middle East.
I want to thank the following leaders, in no particular order, for their sincere efforts to work with us and to help us understand their views about the conflict and the region: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein; Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain; Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar; Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman; King Mohammed VI of Morocco; and (you may be surprised) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
I have differences of opinion with these leaders. Certainly, it is no secret that President Abbas and I have disagreed on many of the issues dividing Israel and the Palestinians. But many of these leaders were interested in exploring whether a peace plan was achievable. They should be commended for that.
Some of these leaders were extremely generous with their time and some were willing to share their frank outlook on the regional conflict – all with the goal of achieving a comprehensive solution, improving the lives of everyone and bringing stability to the region.
These leaders were generous in sharing their teams with us as well – many of their foreign ministers, national security advisers, ambassadors and other government officials were helpful.
In some cases, there were deep differences between us about our approach, but generally there was a willingness to speak freely and with hope for progress. The one exception to that began in December 2017 when President Abbas and his team cut ties to us after President Trump’s bold, courageous and historic recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
I hope the rift with the Palestinian leadership will heal. After all, peace cannot be achieved, and the lives of Palestinians cannot be meaningfully improved, if it is not.
I want to thank each U.S. government employee who I interacted with over these past few years. So many of you helped me understand more, learn more and desire to do more. I was fortunate to interact with many talented, bright and earnest people who are dedicated to our country.
There are so many government employees who help us do our jobs each day who deserve my gratitude. Thank you to the dedicated men and women of the Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, Customs and Border Protection, Situation Room staff, and so many others throughout the White House complex and the many different agencies I interacted with.
I would especially like to thank my colleagues throughout the National Security Council and the State Department, including those stationed abroad, particularly in the Middle East. Each of you acted with professionalism and dedication and enabled me to do my job better.
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As I continued my drive home to New Jersey, my thoughts were drawn to the prayer for the wellbeing of the United States government that is recited on Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, in many synagogues in our country.
While different versions of the prayer exist, essentially we pray for God to bless the president, vice president and all of the officers of the United States government. This Shabbat, as the prayer is recited it will no longer include me, because I am no longer serving at the White House.
Each time I hear this prayer I will remember the president, the vice president and all of my colleagues throughout the United States government who work tirelessly every day to help our magnificent country remain the beacon of light to the world that it is.
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May God bless President Trump, Vice President Pence, our senators, House of Representatives members, judges, all U.S. government workers, and the members of our armed forces and their families. May God keep you and your families and loved ones healthy, safe and secure, and may your lives be tranquil, peaceful and prosperous.
God Bless the United States of America.