TV report says Ambassador David Friedman berated lawmakers for being ‘ungrateful’ in asking for more after relocation of embassy to Jerusalem
By Stuart Winer, TOI, 17 June 2018,
US Ambassador David Friedman reportedly told Israeli lawmakers they were “ungrateful” for demanding that Washington follow up on its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel with an official US acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
Among those who recently called for American recognition of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, which it captured five decades ago from Syria, were Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, Likud party MK Yoav Kisch, and Yair Lapid, who leads the opposition Yesh Atid party.
According to a Hebrew-language report from the Kan public broadcaster on Sunday, Friedman met recently with some MKs and admonished them over the public call for a change in US policy vis-a-vis the Golan Heights.
The report quoted him as saying that Israelis do not understand that the US has global interests unrelated to the Jewish state, while Israeli politicians have only a domestic agenda.
In private conversations, Friedman allegedly told the politicians that, instead of being grateful after the US recognized Jerusalem and made the momentous move of its embassy to the city, the Israelis immediately asked for more, displaying what he termed “ingratitude.”
The Kan report did not specify which lawmakers Friedman spoke to in the meetings.
The US Embassy responded in a statement to the news channel, saying the American ambassador does not recall any conversations about the matter.
Concerning the American policy regarding the Golan Heights, the mission said there are no new announcements to be made at this time.
The embassy noted that US officials have regular meetings with various Israeli officials on various topics.
Recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the strategic mountainous plateau in the north east of the country has both support and opposition in Washington.
Israel captured the Golan in 1967 from Syria, which used its elevated position to routinely shell Israeli settlements in the Galilee. The Jewish state annexed the territory in 1981, in a move never recognized by the international community — including by the United States — which still regards it as occupied.
“This is the perfect time to make such a move,” said Likud Minister Katz,in late May. “The most painful response you can give the Iranians is to recognize Israel’s Golan sovereignty — with an American statement, a presidential proclamation.”
Likud MK Kisch had also recently sent a letter to Friedman urging Washington to take the step.
At the end of May, the US House of Representatives shelved a Republican lawmaker’s proposal for the recognition, following reported opposition from party leaders and from within the White House.
Representative Ron DeSantis of Florida had introduced the non-binding proposal to the Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs, of which he is a member, saying that although symbolic, its approval could encourage the administration to take a position on the matter.
The proposal, however, was shelved and prevented from coming up for a vote as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
mr friedman you have your head up someones tuchas. Golan is ISRAELS by right of purchase and history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golan_Heights
http://rense.com/general18/rothschildslandon.htm
re your comment who does Louisiana really belong to? unc. sam? the froggies? or the gallegos?
@ vivarto:
Israel will never give up the Golan. Before Israel captured it, it was common that fishermen on the Kinerret and farmers in the fields down below, would be killed or severely wounded by terrorists who were pot-shotting at them. And they were not able to respond-just suffer. They took their lives into their hands every day they were out in the open, withing gunshot of the Golan.
No…Israel will never give it away. It’s an integral part of Israel’s defence.
Why should Trump drag his feet?
A weak Israel is a liability, a strong Israel is an asset.
The last thing USA should wish is for Israel to give Golan to Syria in exchange for ANY piece of paper with words “Peace” in it.
Giving Golan away signals weakness, and indeed weakens Israel. US is better off with Israel and a strong ally, rather than weakling that US must defend.
The more things change the more they remain the same. I was raising my kids on the Syrian border in the Golan when Begin made his move to annex…..I’ll never forget the parties and celebrations that night.
Unfortunately Menachem Begin and his like are long gone, and now we are stuck with appeasers. Does anyone think that he would be supplying Hamas with fuel and electricity?
Seems absurd that the concept that this land was taken in a defensive war, is not clearly understood even by US lawmakers. Isn’t this international law that states that Israel can keep this land and the USA can, and should, actually accept this as easily as the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital.. The International community’s refusal to accept this puts the International community at odds with International law, which can be expected from International bodies that are biased against Israel on everything they do or even don’t do. Now for some no doubt petty political reason, the USA stands with them, rather than Israel. Is the US now going to join the PA and get good at not missing the opportunity to miss an opportunity? Or is the USA saying Israel “We gave you one thing now you must make more concessions to the terrorists”. Sounds like the Obama Cartel is still in charge in the US House or Trump is keeping the old swamp policies after he said he would do something different.
Friedman says it was a momentous move to set the Embassy in Jerusalem, but It has been Israel’s capital as long as Jews have been, and Trump said hundreds of times that all he did was accept the obvious reality. So although the Jews ARE grateful, they are really saying thank you for what has always been theirs. Also to show Trump that they appreciate his staunch support of the Jewish State.
Friedman is WRONG. Also the Golan has been Israeli since 1967, and in actual fact was part of ancient Israel for two thousand years. The British and French made an underhand deal that Syria, the new French Mandate, got the Golan and Britain got the Mesopotamian oil. There was a lot more to it but the Golan was to have been part of Jewish Palestine, just like today’s Jordan was.
Friedman is too quick to accuse and maybe is stressed, perhaps should take a vacation. He is falling into the accusations of the Goyim, that Jews always take and never say thank you, which in this case is false.
The Arabs are those who take and demand more and never say thank you.