Jared Kushner on 'two-state' solution: 'Let's just not say it'

Kushner, the son-in-law and senior adviser to President Donald Trump, is expected next month to present a long-awaited deal on behalf of the US administration, which has closely aligned itself with Israel.

Vowing to take a fresh approach, Kushner on Thursday gave the administration's strongest indication yet that the plan will not propose two states for Israelis and Palestinians - for decades the US-backed goal in marathon peace talks.

"If you say 'two-state', it means one thing to the Israelis, it means one thing to the Palestinians," Kushner said at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"We said, you know, let's just not say it. Let's just say, let's work on the details of what this means," he said.

It was the latest in a series of recent public appearances Kushner has made to lay the groundwork for rolling out the plan, which has been two years in the making. In recent weeks, Kushner has also made appearances at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, a secretive Republican gathering in Sea Island, Georgia, and at the Times 100 Summit in New York City.

Kushner declined to give extensive details about the plan before its release but, asked if it would cover the final status between Israelis and Palestinians, he said: "That's correct, we will."

He is trying to persuade academics, congresspeople, former Middle East negotiators, regional players, special interest groups and potential spoilers to have an open mind and seriously consider the plan when it's released, which won't be before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends in the first week of June, and perhaps not even then.

He said the plan attempts to ensure security for Israel and provide economic opportunity to improve the lives of Palestinians.

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