Exclusive: Jared Kushner's Abraham Accords Peace Institute to merge into Heritage foundation

The Heritage Foundation is going to acquire the Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI), which was established by President Trump's son-in-law and former senior adviser Jared Kushner, according to a statement shared with Axios. Why it matters: The move by the conservative think-tank which is considered highly influential on Trump administration policies could reenergize the efforts to push for new normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab world — something the president has said he wants to do. Flashback: The Abraham Accords, signed in September 2020, were arguably Trump's biggest foreign policy achievement and the biggest breakthrough for relations between Israel and the Arab world for 25 years.Kushner, who negotiated the Abraham Accords, founded the non-profit in May 2021 after he left government. The goal was to develop programs that will help in strengthening the normalization between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Driving the news: Robert Greenway who worked at the national security council when the Abraham Accords were signed was the first CEO of Kushner's institute. Now as the director of the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation, he will chair the merger initiative.Kushner said the Abraham Accords Peace Institute's outgoing CEO Aryeh Lightstone joined the Trump administration and will work on White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's team.What they're saying: Lightstone said that with the Trump administration's focus on expanding the Abraham Accords, the mission of the institute "will move to its proper home — the administration."He added: "Several of its data collection functions, as well as the efforts to coordinate the many complementary and supporting efforts to the current administration, will continue under the leadership of Robert Greenway."Dr. Victoria Coates, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation, said she is looking forward to continued close collaboration with Kushner and his team on new opportunities to support peace initiatives in the Middle East.

The Heritage Foundation is going to acquire the Abraham Accords Peace Institute (AAPI), which was established by President Trump's son-in-law and former senior adviser Jared Kushner, according to a statement shared with Axios. Why it matters: The move by the conservative think-tank which is considered highly influential on Trump administration policies could reenergize the efforts to push for new normalization agreements between Israel and the Arab world — something the president has said he wants to do. Flashback: The Abraham Accords, signed in September 2020, were arguably Trump's biggest foreign policy achievement and the biggest breakthrough for relations between Israel and the Arab world for 25 years.

Kushner, who negotiated the Abraham Accords, founded the non-profit in May 2021 after he left government. The goal was to develop programs that will help in strengthening the normalization between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. Driving the news: Robert Greenway who worked at the national security council when the Abraham Accords were signed was the first CEO of Kushner's institute.

Now as the director of the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation, he will chair the merger initiative.Kushner said the Abraham Accords Peace Institute's outgoing CEO Aryeh Lightstone joined the Trump administration and will work on White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff's team.What they're saying: Lightstone said that with the Trump administration's focus on expanding the Abraham Accords, the mission of the institute "will move to its proper home — the administration.

"He added: "Several of its data collection functions, as well as the efforts to coordinate the many complementary and supporting efforts to the current administration, will continue under the leadership of Robert Greenway."Dr. Victoria Coates, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation, said she is looking forward to continued close collaboration with Kushner and his team on new opportunities to support peace initiatives in the Middle East.

.