Who is Avi Berkowitz, the New Face on US Middle East Peace Team?

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Al Jazeera quoted Yousef Munayyer, USCPR’s executive director, in their article about the increased role that Kushner aide Avi Berkowitz will be playing in the Trump administration’s Middle East “peace” team.

“[This appointment] makes it very clear that the administration has no real interest in seeking a just resolution but are essentially just stepping back and allowing the right-wing fanatical fringe in Israel and the US to dictate what the reality on the ground is for Palestinians.”

Munayyer told Al Jazeera that US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, a self-described “unapologetic right-wing defender of Israel”, still had the most influence on US policy towards Israel and that, so far, he promoted the views of the Israeli far right, particularly when it came to territorial expansion.

“I think what we have seen since the outset of this hands-off policy is that the Israeli government has free reign to continue to violate international law, to expand Israeli settlements, to expand its reach in terms of home demolitions and land seizures, and to continue to do all of those things that Palestinians have experienced over many years and at a faster pace than before because there are no breaks whatsoever,” Munayyer said.