2 min read
ByAnshel Pfeffer, anshel pfeffer
Official Israel is divided over what to expect from the Trump administration.
January 20, 2017 14:24While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been instructing his ministers to refrain from making any statements on their expectations for the Trump era, right-wing politicians outside the cabinet have been less reserved.
Leaders of the West Bank settler councils are in Washington DC this week to attend the presidential inauguration. They hope to cement what they see as a budding relationship with the Trump White House, having been buoyed last month by the appointment of David Friedman as US ambassador to Israel. Mr Friedman is Mr Trump’s lawyer and an enthusiastic donor to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Vice Mayor of Jerusalem, Yitzhak Pindrus, said that as an Israeli-American, he cast an overseas vote for Mr Trump but would not attend the inauguration. “I’m waiting for the Obama administration to depart because now at least I know that whenever we authorise new houses in neighbourhoods of Jerusalem such as Ramot or Gilo, which 90 per cent of Israelis regard as being in Israel proper, we won’t be getting a phone call from the prime minister’s office telling us to postpone because Kerry or Biden are about to visit and we can’t upset the Americans.”
Mr Netanyahu is to follow diplomatic protocol dictating that foreign leaders do not attend presidential inaugurations. However, there has been feverish speculation over whether he will be the first foreign leader to visit Mr Trump in the White House — beating Theresa May, who is anxious for a meeting to underline Britain’s “special relationship” with the US in advance of Brexit talks with the European Union.
Meanwhile, Israeli diplomats are bemused at the prospect of another anticipated appointment — that of Mr Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner as his Middle East peace negotiator. In interviews last weekend with The Times and German tabloid Bild, the president-elect discussed the appointment, saying Mr Kushner “knows the region, knows the people, knows the players” and has “natural talent”.
That may all be true, but the 36-year-old real estate investor has no diplomatic or political experience beyond advising his father-in-law during the presidential campaign. Previous American envoys to the region were all veteran diplomats, generals or members of Congress, and included such luminaries as Henry Kissinger and Warren Christopher.
One Israeli veteran of the peace negotiations said this week: “Who knows, he may succeed where they all failed. One thing is clear, it’s up to the Israelis and the Palestinians and not the Americans. Maybe an administration with a totally different attitude can facilitate that.”
The Palestinians, naturally, are extremely worried. As the inauguration approaches there has been no move to dissipate fears that Mr Trump will carry out his campaign promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Such a move would be a signal that he regards Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
President Mahmoud Abbas and his advisers have issued dire warnings of the consequences of such a move. These include the potential rescinding of Palestine’s 1993 recognition of Israel’s right to exist, precipitating the end of the Oslo process. However, they are also aware that the Arab states would be reluctant to trigger a new struggle over Jerusalem.
Mr Netanyahu, as the Palestinians are aware, would be delighted to see the Palestinians undermine their own interests and dismantle the fundamentals of the Oslo process.
In a recent interview, Mr Trump made it clear that the US would veto all UN resolutions critical of Israel and that he expected Britain to follow his lead. The clear signal from Mr Trump was that the Palestinians can no longer expect automatic support from the Americans or other Western nations.
For settler leaders, this was welcome news, but Mr Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders and diplomats are more wary. They are aware that Mr Trump’s views could be challenged by powerful voices in his administration — for example, Mr Trump’s Defence Secretary James Mattis emphasised in his Senate confirmation hearing last week that he regarded Israel’s capital as Tel Aviv.
No one is quite sure whether the Trump White House will seek to impose its views on other parts of the administration. Jerusalem will be waiting with everyone else to see how Washington operates in this new era.
