The Aug. 24 top-level Palestinian meeting with US President Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, and deputy national security adviser Dina Powell, ended on a positive note. So positive, in fact, that suddenly the Palestinian threats of recent days to abandon the US diplomatic channel unless progress was achieved dissolved in a sea of smiles.

Al-Monitor has learned that the only reason for this Palestinian optimism, at least for now, was a personal message conveyed by Trump through Kushner to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. According to the message, the president of the United States was committed to making supreme efforts to broker a historic peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and a detailed plan would soon be formulated setting out Trump’s vision of peace in the Middle East.

Kushner praised Abbas and told him the president greatly appreciated his efforts to quell domestic Palestinian unrest, as well as his desire to achieve an agreement with Israel knowing he will have to make tough decisions to get there.

The assertive attitude displayed by Trump and his team positively influenced the atmosphere and the mindset in Ramallah. Abbas, who at the start of the week expressed open displeasure with the unresponsive US peacemaking channel, immediately softened his stance.