US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt addresses an Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference, Jan. 30, 2018. Photo: INSS via Facebook.

JNS.org – Speaking at a conference held by the Institute for National Security Studies on Tuesday, US Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt urged Israelis and Palestinians to enter into peace negotiations brokered by the Trump administration, but stated that America would not seek to impose a solution on either side.

“Our approach is rooted in the belief that instead of working to impose a solution from the outside, we must give the parties space to make their own decisions about their future,” Greenblatt said, adding “To this end, the President has made clear that he will support whatever the two sides can agree to. We will not impose a deal on either party. But we know that the desire for peace is real, it is powerful, and it must be harnessed.”

Greenblatt noted that President Donald Trump has “brought a fresh set of eyes and energy to the task of peacemaking” and outlined the new US approach to peace.

“Our approach is also guided by the belief that instead of laying the blame for the conflict at the feet of one party or the other, we must focus on unlocking new areas of cooperation that benefit both Israelis and Palestinians,” Greenblatt said.

“America has always been here with you in advancing the way along a negotiated path,” he said. “That’s been true in the past, it is true in the present and it will be true in the future.”