UN Security Council to hear briefing from Kushner on controversial Mideast peace plan

UNITED NATIONS - The Security Council will hear a briefing behind closed doors from Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's senior adviser, on the US-proposed Middle East peace plan on Thursday, the council president said Monday.

"The understanding is that the United States will request closed consultations in order to brief council members on the American plan. The idea, as I understand, will be that Mr. Kushner, as the special envoy, would be participating in that meeting," said Belgian UN ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, whose country holds the Security Council presidency for the month of February.

The closed-door meeting will be held on Thursday probably between noon and 1 p.m. EST (1700 and 1800 GMT), he told reporters.

The Security Council will also hold a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Feb. 11, said the ambassador.

The council has been approached informally with a request of organizing a meeting with Abbas. A formal request is expected on Monday, he said.

Trump on Tuesday revealed a controversial Middle East peace plan designed by Kushner, which calls for a two-state solution while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital."

In an emergency meeting at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo on Saturday, Arab foreign ministers unanimously agreed to boycott the US plan and not to cooperate "in any way" with Washington in its implementation.