U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman has been called back to Washington to help the Trump administration prepare to present its forthcoming Middle East peace plan.
The U.S. Embassy in Israel confirmed that Friedman had returned to the United States, saying that while in D.C., Friedman would be meeting with State Department and White House officials.
Friedman had been set to attend the American Jewish Congress Global Forum in Jerusalem on Sunday, but was forced to cancel his attendance at the last minute after being called back to the United States for urgent discussions on the peace process, according to AJC donor Jeffrey Aronson.
Upon entering the White House last year, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to broker “the ultimate peace deal” between Israelis and Palestinians, though the prospect of a deal seems unlikely in the region’s current climate.
Palestinian leaders rejected the U.S. as a peace broker in December after Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and later relocated the U.S. embassy to the city.