'It's Game of Thrones Meets Groundhog Day': Netanyahu and Trump Team Talk as Israel Faces New Election

JERUSALEM, Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Jared Kushner, senior advisor to President Trump, and US Envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt on Thursday. 

US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook and Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer were also present. 

The meeting was held a day after Israel was thrown into unprecedented political chaos. Netanyahu was unable to resolve divisions among the right-wing Knesset parties and failed to form a government coalition by a Wednesday night deadline. Instead, the Knesset voted to dissolve itself and schedule a national election on Sept. 17. It will be the first time the country goes to the polls twice in the same year. 

CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell says all the political parties are blaming each other right now for the failure to form a new government, and they're looking for ways to knock their opponents back and pull ahead by September. 

"It's sort of like Game of Thrones right now," he said. "But some people say it may actually be like Groundhog Day, and the reason for that is the polls taken just one day after the failure to form a coalition government said the results may be just the same as they were at this last election."

Despite the turmoil, Netanyahu said he is still committed to working with the United States. 

"We had a little event last night. That's not going to stop us. We're going to continue working together. We had a great, productive meeting, which reaffirms that the alliance between the United States of America and Israel has never been stronger, and it's going to get even stronger."

An important meeting with Jared Kushner, senior advisor to the US president, and Jason Greenblatt, US envoy to the Middle East.

The alliance between the United States and Israel has never been stronger, and it will continue to become even stronger in the future.  pic.twitter.com/PCpfNVO6XY

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) May 30, 2019

Kushner did not mention the political crisis but affirmed Israel's relationship with the US. 

"This was my first time in Israel since the President recognized the Golan Heights, which was a very important announcement. The security of Israel is something that's critical to the relations between America and Israel, and also very important to the President, and we appreciate all your efforts to strengthen the relationship between our two countries. It's never been stronger, and we're very excited about all the potential that lies ahead for Israel, for the relationship, and for the future."

The timing of Israel's political issues may throw a wrench in the rollout of the Trump administration's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, which was set to be revealed in June. The White House will unveil part of the plan during an economic workshop in Bahrain next month. 

Now, with Israel's political future uncertain, the release of the remaining parts of the so-called "Deal of the Century" may be delayed.