Victoria Coates. Photo: YouTube screenshot.

JNS.org – Victoria Coates — a member of the National Security Council and former national security adviser to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — has reportedly joined the team tasked by President Donald Trump with renewing US-led efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

According to a report in Politico, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster recently held discussions on Israel strategy with Jason Greenblatt, Trump’s international negotiations representative, with the goal of integrating efforts with the National Security Council.

The report added that both Greenblatt and Ambassador to Israel David Friedman had already privately pitched Coates on the idea of joining the team.

Coates, a longtime Republican foreign policy adviser who served as a consultant to Cruz’s failed presidential campaign, was promoted to senior director of international negotiations and has reportedly moved into an office with Greenblatt’s team.

News of the addition of Coates to the Mideast peace team comes as Greenblatt, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, and Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Powell are visiting the Middle East in an effort to restart the peace process.