Washington (CNN) As the deadliest day of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians since the 2014 Gaza War unfolded on Monday, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner addressed a crowd at the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem and said he believes "peace is within reach."

"We believe that it is possible for both sides to gain more than they give so all people can live in peace, safe from danger, free from fear and able to pursue their dreams," Kushner said. "I believe peace is within reach if we dare to believe the future can be different from the past. That we are not condemned to relive history, and that the way things were is not how they must forever be."

Kushner's remarks at the embassy opening on Monday amounted to his most significant policy speech to date and the jarring split screen on Monday underscored the enormity of the undertaking the President's son-in-law has been tasked with -- and the challenges his efforts have faced so far. The speech was also a rare public appearance for Kushner, who has kept a low public profile, particularly as the special counsel's investigation and security clearance issues have dogged him in recent months.

In his 16 months at the White House, Kushner has toiled, mostly behind the scenes, to craft a peace proposal whose details have so far remained shrouded in secrecy.

But Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his decision to move the US Embassy to the holy city threw the biggest wrench to date in the administration's peace-brokering efforts, with Palestinian leaders refusing to engage the administration since the December announcement.

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