White House's Kushner meets Netanyahu in Jerusalem visit

US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour before Washington unveils its long-awaited plan for Israel-Palestinian peace.

Kushner, accompanied by Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt and Brian Hook, the US special representative for Iran, arrived in Jerusalem after earlier stops in Morocco and Jordan.

He is a key architect of the peace plan the White House says it intends to present in the coming weeks.

But the plan, previously delayed for an Israeli general election on April 9, could face further postponements due to Israeli politics.

Israel is set to hold another general election in September after Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government, and the plan is widely seen as too sensitive an issue to introduce during a political campaign.

Netanyahu, who has formed a close bond with Trump, made reference to parliament's vote just after midnight to schedule new elections when meeting Kushner.

"Even though we had a little event last night, that's not going to stop us," Netanyahu said after their meeting at his residence.

"We're going to continue working together. We had a great productive meeting which reaffirms the alliance" between the United States and Israel," he said in a statement.

Kushner told Netanyahu "we appreciate all of your efforts to strengthen the relationship between our two countries."
Jordan's King Abdullah II insisted during Kushner's visit Wednesday on the "need to intensify efforts to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, that would guarantee the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital."