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President Donald Trump has turned to a familiar hand in his Middle East diplomacy as he pushes Israel to accept a sweeping American proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, has reemerged as a key figure in efforts to bridge differences between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of a White House meeting on Monday.
Kushner, alongside Steve Witkoff, Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, met with Netanyahu twice in the past week — including on Sunday at the prime minister’s hotel in New York, according to Israeli and American officials.
If successful, it would mark a major achievement for Trump — coming five years after Kushner brokered normalization deals between Israel and several Arab states, known as the Abraham Accords, and nine months after Witkoff helped finalize the last ceasefire-hostage agreement with Hamas. In his inaugural address in January, Trump said his “proudest legacy” in his second term would be that of a peacemaker.
Kushner has previously supported Trump’s controversial plan to “take over” Gaza, relocate its 2 million Palestinian residents and develop it into a “Riviera on the Middle East.” He first outlined a version of the idea last year at the Harvard Kennedy School.
The 21-point U.S. proposal under discussion does not include that. Instead, it calls for the release of all the Israeli hostages in exchange for amnesty for Hamas members who pledge to renounce violence, and safe passage for those who leave Gaza. It envisions a redevelopment blueprint for the territory and a pathway toward a Palestinian state administered by a reformed Palestinian Authority.
Trump voiced confidence about securing a deal, writing in capital letters on his Truth Social platform, “ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!” In an interview with Axios, he said his goal is to jumpstart talks for regional peace. “If we get this done, it will be a great day for Israel and for the Middle East,” he said.
Vice President JD Vance struck a more measured note in a Fox News interview that aired Sunday morning. “I think the president has gotten us to a point where we’re at the one-yard line,” Vance said. “All of us are very hopeful we can sort of punch through the end zone and accomplish a major thing for peace in the region.”
Will Netanyahu get on board?
Netanyahu, who defended his conduct of the war in Gaza in a Friday speech at the United Nations, has broadly embraced Trump’s plan but said he is seeking more assurances on Hamas’ disarmament and on who would govern the enclave after the war.
In a Sunday interview on Fox News, he said his government was “working with President Trump’s team” and that “we agree on the substantive things and the main things.”
Monday’s session will be the fourth White House meeting between the two leaders since Trump retook office in January, as the level of coordination between the two countries has grown stronger in recent months.
“President Trump has been an incredible ally of Israel, an incredible friend,” Netanyahu said. For his part, Trump told Axios, “Bibi wants peace,” using the prime minister’s nickname.
Despite the optimism, obstacles remain. Hamas has yet to comment on the proposal, and Netanyahu faces resistance within his own coalition. His far-right allies, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, have vowed to quit the government if the war ends. However, several opposition leaders have offered Netanyahu their votes in the Knesset to pass the deal if the government collapses.