Palestinian Ambassador Warns It’s Back to International Campaign if US Mission Fails

Just in case US President Donald Trump’s team of novice Mideast peace negotiators was not feeling enough pressure on the eve of its next trip to the region, the Palestinian ambassador to the United States added his warning that if the Americans fail to jumpstart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the Palestinians will revert to soliciting recognition from international agencies and institutions – the piecemeal assembly of tributes the Palestinians hope to weave into international recognition of statehood, albeit not without cost. While the most recognizable name on Team Trump is First-Son-in-Law Jared Kushner, it is Trump attorney-turned-peace negotiator Jason Greenblatt who has become the recipient of highest marks from the parties since his first visit early-on in the Trump presidency and who is believed by many to be the “go-to guy” trust-wise, for the Palestinians who have previously dismissed Trump’s team – which, if US Ambassador to  Israel David Friedman is included consists of three out of four religious Jews – as “Israel’s representatives.” Palestinian Ambassador Husam Zomlot met Greenblatt last week at the White House and presented the latest Palestinian positions on the key issues and warned of the Palestinian “Plan B.” Israel’s supporters are dealing with their own concerns, foremost of which is the belief that President Trump needs a successful mission in order to offset the myriad of negative coverage of the administration. To many Israelis, that – plus the additional pressure point of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s legal predicament — spells undue pressure on the Jewish state.