Trump confidant: He would never pressure Israel like Hillary
Long-time Trump adviser and confidant claims GOP nominee will be far better for Israel than Clinton, would never berate Israeli leaders.
By David Rosenberg
First Publish: 5/5/2016, 2:09 PM
For 20 years, Jason Greenblatt has worked as a real estate attorney for the GOP’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. He has since become one of Trump’s closest confidants and a key adviser on Israel affairs.
A staunch supporter of Israel who lived and studied in Judea in his youth, Greenblatt believes Trump would be far more sympathetic to the Jewish state and more dignified towards its leaders than his likely Democratic opponent in November, Hillary Clinton.
Speaking with Algemeiner on Wednesday, Greenblatt was certain that Trump would never “berate” Israel’s elected leaders in the manner Hillary Clinton did during her tenure as Secretary of State. Trump, said Greenblatt, would maintain a “productive dialogue” with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
“No [Trump would not speak to Netanyahu in that way]. Not in a million years. First of all, I don’t know how Hillary had the nerve to berate Netanyahu that way. It’s disrespectful. You don’t talk to the leader of another country that way. You can air your differences, but you air them politely. Donald is not that kind of person.”
“He thinks Netanyahu is doing a great job, particularly under the circumstances. And I think they would continue to have productive dialogue.”
Greenblatt emphasized Trump’s personal feelings towards Israel, noting that he “views Israel as a strong ally and as a friend.”
“I think he’s been clear… that he views Israel as a very strategic ally to the United States. He views Israel as a beacon of light in the Middle East. He is a very, very strong supporter of Israel.”
Somewhat reminiscent of Trump’s own comments in February, in which the candidate claimed he would remain neutral between Israel and the Palestinians, Greenblatt was quick to add that Trump would be even handed in his dealings with the Palestinian Authority, and still hoped to negotiate a final status agreement.
“[H]e would love to see if he could negotiate a peace treaty between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He’s very clear that it’s probably the hardest deal ever to be negotiated, certainly in modern history.”
“At the same time, though he’s very pro-Israel, he’s not saying to the Palestinians, ‘You’ll take whatever I give you.’ That’s not his approach. In fact, he rejects the idea of imposing peace on the two sides. He wants to be a facilitator. He recognizes from more than 40 years in the business world that there is no good deal that gets done when one party is forced into something by the other party, or worse, when a third party — whether the United States, the United Nations, a group of countries together – forces sides to make peace in a way that doesn’t work for them. Because they’re going to have to live with one another. If it doesn’t work for them, it’s just going to unravel.”
By David Rosenberg
First Publish: 5/5/2016, 2:09 PM
For 20 years, Jason Greenblatt has worked as a real estate attorney for the GOP’s presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. He has since become one of Trump’s closest confidants and a key adviser on Israel affairs.
A staunch supporter of Israel who lived and studied in Judea in his youth, Greenblatt believes Trump would be far more sympathetic to the Jewish state and more dignified towards its leaders than his likely Democratic opponent in November, Hillary Clinton.
Speaking with Algemeiner on Wednesday, Greenblatt was certain that Trump would never “berate” Israel’s elected leaders in the manner Hillary Clinton did during her tenure as Secretary of State. Trump, said Greenblatt, would maintain a “productive dialogue” with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
“No [Trump would not speak to Netanyahu in that way]. Not in a million years. First of all, I don’t know how Hillary had the nerve to berate Netanyahu that way. It’s disrespectful. You don’t talk to the leader of another country that way. You can air your differences, but you air them politely. Donald is not that kind of person.”
“He thinks Netanyahu is doing a great job, particularly under the circumstances. And I think they would continue to have productive dialogue.”
Greenblatt emphasized Trump’s personal feelings towards Israel, noting that he “views Israel as a strong ally and as a friend.”
“I think he’s been clear… that he views Israel as a very strategic ally to the United States. He views Israel as a beacon of light in the Middle East. He is a very, very strong supporter of Israel.”
Somewhat reminiscent of Trump’s own comments in February, in which the candidate claimed he would remain neutral between Israel and the Palestinians, Greenblatt was quick to add that Trump would be even handed in his dealings with the Palestinian Authority, and still hoped to negotiate a final status agreement.
“[H]e would love to see if he could negotiate a peace treaty between the Palestinians and the Israelis. He’s very clear that it’s probably the hardest deal ever to be negotiated, certainly in modern history.”
“At the same time, though he’s very pro-Israel, he’s not saying to the Palestinians, ‘You’ll take whatever I give you.’ That’s not his approach. In fact, he rejects the idea of imposing peace on the two sides. He wants to be a facilitator. He recognizes from more than 40 years in the business world that there is no good deal that gets done when one party is forced into something by the other party, or worse, when a third party — whether the United States, the United Nations, a group of countries together – forces sides to make peace in a way that doesn’t work for them. Because they’re going to have to live with one another. If it doesn’t work for them, it’s just going to unravel.”
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