Jeff Greenblatt, President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East has announced his departure from the White House.
Greenblatt is the architect of the administration’s peace plan for the Middle East and has been reported to have just completed his work.
According to The Hill:
President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East and an architect of the administration’s long-awaited peace plan for the region is leaving the White House, a senior official confirmed to The Hill on Thursday.
Jason Greenblatt will depart the administration in the coming weeks to return to New Jersey, where his wife and six kids reside, the official said. His exit had been discussed at the end of 2018, and the administration began taking steps to transition oversight of the peace plan.
Trump’s special envoy for Iran, Brian Hook, will assume some of the responsibilities of handling the Middle East peace process, according to the administration official. Avi Berkowitz, a top aide to senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, will also play a more prominent role.
Trump thanked Greenblatt in a tweet for being “a loyal and great friend and fantastic lawyer.” Greenblatt previously worked as an attorney for the Trump Organization.
….His dedication to Israel and to seeking peace between Israel and the Palestinians won’t be forgotten. He will be missed. Thank you Jason!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2019
Greenblatt has announced that the plan will be withheld until after the Israeli elections which will take place this month.
Greenblatt and Kushner were the leading officials for the plan and developed relationships in the region. It is unclear if this departure will harm the viability of the plan.
