Kushner to Meet With Israel’s Gantz as Third Election Looms

(Bloomberg) -- Jared Kushner, a White House adviser and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, plans to meet with Benny Gantz, who is trying to put together the next Israeli government and unseat longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kushner, who is traveling to Israel this weekend, also will meet with Netanyahu, according to a person familiar with the matter. Trump has been a strong ally of Netanyahu and has repeatedly praised the prime minister.

Kushner, who has been seeking to forge a Middle East peace plan, wants to determine where things stand after two elections and two failed attempts by Netanyahu to build a governing coalition, the person said.

Gantz of the Blue and White bloc appears to have no easier path to forming a government, raising the prospect of yet another revote that might keep Netanyahu in power.

Kushner is traveling with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is scheduled to meet separately with Netanyahu, the person said. They’ll also be joined by Brian Hook, a State Department special representative for Iran, and Avi Berkowitz, who is becoming Trump’s new special envoy for the Middle East. Jason Greenblatt is departing that position on Nov. 1.

Saudi Forum

The U.S. officials also plan to attend an annual Saudi Arabian investment forum that Mnuchin skipped last year because of the kingdom’s role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mnuchin also plans to travel to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and India.

The investment forum, called the Future Investment Initiative, is a three-day program. Held in Riyadh from Oct. 29 to 31, the meeting is set to attract some of Wall Street’s top dealmakers, as well as representatives from major institutional investors across the globe.

Mnuchin boycotted the forum last year after Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was killed and dismembered by Saudi agents in Turkey. The Treasury chief still traveled to Riyadh in October 2018, meeting with Mohammed Bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince.

The CIA has concluded that Prince Mohammed ordered Khashoggi’s murder, according to the Washington Post. Saudi Arabia’s reputation abroad has also taken a hit since the 2018 killing and the arrest of prominent women’s rights activists accused by authorities of undermining state security.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum, Larry Liebert

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