News outlets 'banned from filming' Jared Kushner during visit to Israel
Journalists were ordered not to photograph Jared Kushner while he is in Israel on a quick visit trying to broker a peace deal for father-in-law Donald Trump.
It is unclear at this time who gave the order, but reports indicate that an Associated Press cameraman was prevented from filming Mr Kushner's arrival at the office of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.
Another cameraman was told to delete the memory card in his camera, which reportedly contained images of Mr Kushner's arrival and from Mr Netanyahu's office.
There is no indication this was for security reasons or whether it was US or Israeli authorities gave the order.
The problem extended to the actual meeting as well. Officials would not comment on what the pair would specifically discuss.
The former real estate executive's visit lasted less than a day, but the timing coincided with Mr Netanyahu's announcement that construction had begun on the first new Israeli settlement in 25 years.
Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian official told Reuters that “the real question" is whether the Trump administration "will tell Israel that it is enough and they have to stop immediately all settlement activities, or they will accept this Israeli provocation?”
Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas visited the White House in May during which the pair discussed settlements and a two-state solution.
The New York Times reported that Mr Kushner's family, who are Orthodox Jewish, are old family friends of Mr Netanyahu and have contributed money in the past to Israeli settlements.
A short video of the video was released in which Mr Netanyahu said the meeting was an "opportunity to pursue our common goals of security, prosperity and peace."
“I know of your efforts, the president’s efforts, and I look forward to working with you to achieve these common goals," said Mr Netanyahu.
Mr Kushner said that the President "sends his best regards and it’s an honour to be here with you.”
The White House, managing expectations, said that Mr Kushner and envoy Jason Greenblatt will have to make "many visits" because “forging a historic peace agreement will take time”.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a news conference just ahead of the meeting that “part of it is to figure out how to make incremental change that results in a lasting peace...part of this is really to utilise the trust that has been built up, and not have these negotiations out in public".
To date, Mr Kushner has kept a low profile in the White House - only appearing on camera once since his appointment as an adviser - despite being at the centre of the FBI investigation into Trump campaign aides' alleged ties to Russia.
Mr Kushner was reportedly already a “person of interest” for FBI investigators over his meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergei Kislyak in December - prior to Mr Trump taking office. In that meeting Mr Kushner was said to have suggested setting up a backchannel of communication with Moscow at a Russian diplomatic facility in the US.
He also had a pre-Inauguration meeting with the head of state-owned Russian development bank Vnesheconombank - Sergei Gorkov. The bank had sanctions imposed upon it after Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Mr Kushner was still head of his family’s real estate business at the time of the meeting with Mr Gorkov. He only stepped down from the position after Mr Trump took office and he was appointed his father-in-law’s senior advisor.
