Tel Aviv - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the
country's political situation will not interfere with joint US-Israel
projects, as he met with senior US officials Jared Kushner and Jason
Greenblatt at his Jerusalem residence.
Despite Wednesday night's vote to hold fresh elections, and amid
speculation that this could interfere with the rolling out of the US
peace plan for the Middle East, the Israeli and US officials conveyed
a message of business as usual.
US President Donald Trump weighed in, saying it was "too bad what
happened in Israel" and praising Netanyahu as a "great guy."
"They don't need this. They've got enough turmoil over there, it's a
tough place," Trump said in Washington.
Netanyahu said he discussed with Kushner and Greenblatt their "common
efforts for prosperity, security and peace and I am tremendously
encouraged by everything I hear about how the president is working to
bring allies together in this region."
"Even though we had a little event last night that is not going to
stop us," Netanyahu said with regard to the vote to dissolve
parliament. Israel is now set to return to the polls in September,
for the second time in a year.
"We had a great productive meeting," Netanyahu added.
Kushner, who has been charged by Trump, his father-in-law, with
finding a way forward for the Middle East peace process, is visiting
the region ahead of an "economic workshop" set to be held in the
Bahraini capital Manama in late June.
The workshop seeks to encourage investment in the Palestinian
territories, as part of the US peace plan.
The US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, also participated
in the meeting.