US presidential adviser Jared Kushner urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz in separate meetings to work together to form a unity government in order to seize the “tremendous opportunities” in the region, he said in an interview that aired Tuesday.

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Speaking to Channel 13, Kushner said he thought both Netanyahu and Gantz want to “move forward” and put an end to the political deadlock plaguing the country after the inconclusive September elections, the second national vote in a year.

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“The message that I was bringing was one that right now in the region there really are tremendous opportunities that we’ve accomplished over the past couple years, but even more that we can be seizing together, so it would be great for Israel to figure out how to form a government so we can start working on all the big priorities and opportunities that exist,” said Kushner.

Kushner, who met with Gantz for the first time in an official capacity on Monday, called the Blue and White chairman, a former IDF chief of staff, a “great general” and said “he seems to have a good intention to try and bring good for Israel,” but seemed to discount the possibility of any government that did not include Netanyahu.

“Hopefully he’ll be able to work with Prime Minister Netanyahu and find a way to move forward.”

The meeting on Monday was the first between Blue and White’s leadership and senior US officials, and came days after Gantz was tasked by President Reuven Rivlin with forming a government after Netanyahu failed to put one together after the September elections.