Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy and son-in-law, is making his first trip to Israel since January, where he is expected to focus on what increasingly seems like the forgotten front: Gaza. The visit matters precisely because President Donald Trump has been largely silent about Gaza since the ceasefire took effect almost a year ago.

The immediate backdrop is the prospect of Hamas disarmament raised by the Board of Peace on July 30. The announcement suggested an opening, but an opening is not a plan.

The real test of Kushner’s trip is whether he can convert this first tentative opening on Hamas disarmament into the practical architecture needed to make disarmament real.

Expectations are low. Many believe Hamas will never truly disarm, since armed struggle is central to its identity; at most, they expect rhetorical concessions designed to buy time. Israel is also in an election season, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is making clear he is unlikely to defy his political base before Israelis vote on October 27. No comprehensive plan is expected before then.

That is precisely why the building blocks need to be put in place now. Kushner’s trip should be measured by whether he can assemble them so something actionable remains after the election.

Kushner’s visit also demonstrates that the United States still cares about the Gaza ceasefire. Some will view Trump’s silence as indifference or distraction amid the Iran conflict; others as recognition that little can be achieved before Israel’s election. But in the Middle East, time rarely stands still. Without sustained American involvement, the tentative promise of July........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)