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Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Jason Greenblatt, an envoy tabbed by President Donald Trump to lead the administration's forthcoming Middle East peace plan, is leaving the White House. Trump announced the departure in a tweet Thursday. He said Greenblatt has been "a loyal and great friend and fantastic lawyer" during his three years with the administration.
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An official said Greenblatt, the chief designer of the peace plan, will return to New Jersey to work in the private sector. It was not specified exactly when he will depart.
"His dedication to Israel and to seeking peace between Israel and the Palestinians won't be forgotten," Trump wrote. "He will be missed. Thank you Jason."
"it's been the honor of a lifetime," Greenblatt, who worked as Trump's special representative for international negotiations and is a former Trump Organization attorney, added in a tweet.
"So grateful to have worked on the potential to improve the lives of millions of Israelis, Palestinians and others. Thank you to my incredible wife/amazing children for their encouragement and to my many colleagues for all their help."
The administration released the economic portion of the Middle East peace plan at a Bahrain conference in June, but won't unveil the strategy in its entirety until after the Israeli elections on Sept. 17.
"Jason has done a tremendous job leading the efforts to develop an economic and political vision for a long sought after peace in the Middle East," White House adviser Jared Kushner, who's also led the peace effort, said in a statement. "His work has helped develop the relationships between Israel and its neighbors as he is trusted and respected by all of the leaders throughout the region."
