Former Special Envoy to the Middle East for the Trump administration Jason Greenblatt spoke to Army Radio on Thursday morning, offering his insights into the recently released UN blacklist, and US President Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century.” Regarding the blacklist, Greenblatt said: “I think that what the UN did was outrageous. They were working on this list for a long time – and the fact that they did it now, when they see that there are countries interested in supporting the United States on its mission for peace, really shows the true colors of the UN. “The UN has always been a biased organization against Israel,” Greenblatt continued. “What they’re doing with this blacklist is hurting the chance for peace. They are continuing to undermine any possibility for peace.” On Wednesday, the UN published a blacklist of 112 businesses that have ties to Israeli settlements or operate in Jewish areas over the pre-1967 lines, in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan Heights. The release comes in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s recognition that West Bank settlements are not illegal and that Israel can apply sovereignty to the communities in Judea and Samaria. “I think the Israel-supporting public should do the opposite now and buy more goods from these companies – more services from these companies to make a point – showing the UN that what they’re doing is terrible,” Greenblatt stated, adding that the public should write letters to Congress, the White House and UN Secretary-General António Guterres to “explain their outrage at this blacklist.” When asked whether he believes that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas can fulfill the criteria set in Trump’s “Deal of the Century,” Greenblatt answered that, “Abbas has the power and the prestige among the Palestinian people and Arab neighbors to do that. However, I don’t know if he’s ready to meet the criteria that we’ve set forth in the plan.” “If the Palestinians are going to get a state, then they have to show that they are ready to get a state,” he added. “We put in specific criteria to make sure that Israel is always protected and, ultimately, that the Palestinian people will have freedom,” the former Middle East envoy told Army Radio. “They need to root out terrorism; they need to stop what’s happening in Gaza – and if they’re not capable of meeting these expectations, then it’s very challenging to support a [Palestinian] state.” Greenblatt was then asked if he believes the timing of the plan’s release coincided with the upcoming Israeli elections in order to favor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He countered that Gantz was also in Washington at the time of release and met with Trump to discuss the plan. “The administration went to great pains to get both candidates to [endorse the plan]. I know it wasn’t done politically,” Greenblatt said. “Things change all the time in the region. If they had waited longer [to release the plan] – and perhaps you might go to a fourth election – maybe they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to unveil this plan.”
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