President Trump's son-in-law and chief Middle East adviser, Jared Kushner, arrived in the region on Wednesday for a daylong visit aimed at restarting long-dormant Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
Kushner has been tasked by the president with advancing peace efforts, and Wednesday's meetings - he was heading next to see Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas - marked his first direct foray in the region, after he accompanied Trump here last month. He strongly believes that peace is possible, a White House official said Tuesday.
Kushner, who is also US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, was accompanied by White House lead global negotiator Jason Greenblatt and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
After two decades of failed US -led peace efforts, Palestinian statehood seems distant.
In addition, Greenblatt also visited the Western Wall holy site in Jerusalem and tweeted, "Today at the Kotel I prayed for an end to violence and the blessing of peace". Kushner and Greenblatt during the trip reaffirmed the two sides' commitment to work towards peace, and they've continued to have conversations with both parties since then.
Before their meeting in the capital, Kushner visited the mourning family of slain Border Police officer St. -Sgt-Maj.
The move has infuriated the Palestinians, who say all settlements are illegal obstacles to peace.
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"Kushner said that the president himself asked him to express condolences on behalf of the United States".
A spokesperson for the Malka family said that Kushner was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and spend about 30 minutes with Hadas' parents.
"He chose to die a martyr but I didn't know about it", she said.
Thousands attended her funeral Saturday night.
Police also arrested a resident of the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya suspected of driving the attackers to the Damascus Gate on Friday despite being aware of their plans to carry out the attack.
A wave of unrest that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of 273 Palestinians, 42 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP tally.
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