T. Belman. Of course Abbas wanted to make a deal. He knew he wouldn’t be bound by it and could use it as a stepping stone towards Israel’s destruction. Bibi on the other hand was right to reject a deal because in any deal Israel would be giving up its biblical land to which it had an absolute right to it in inter4national law. Gantz on the other hand is a two-stater and always will be. Trump, on the other hand was a novice to the conflict. He had no understanding of it, deep down. Trump is a deal maker. Sometimes, any deal is a bad deal.
Trump in new excerpts of his interviews with journalist Barak Ravid: Bibi did not want to make a deal, I liked Gantz a lot.
New excerpts of former US President Donald Trump’s interviews with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid for his book on the Abraham Accords were published by Channel 12 News on Saturday night.
“Bibi did not want to make a deal,” Trump said. “Even most recently, when we came up with the maps”, Netanyahu’s reaction was “‘Oh this is good, good,’ everything was always great, but he was never… he did not want to make a deal.”
“I wish he would have said he didn’t want to make a deal because a lot of people devoted a lot of work. But I don’t think Bibi would’ve ever made a deal,” continued Trump.
On Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the former US President said, “I think he wanted to make a deal more than Netanyahu. And I will be honest, I had a great meeting with him, Abbas, right. I had a great meeting with him. And we spent a lot of time together, talking about many things. And it was almost like a father. I mean, he was so nice, couldn’t have been nicer.”
“And after meeting with Bibi for three minutes, I looked at him and said, ‘You don’t want to make a deal, do you?’ and he said, ‘Well, uh, uh, uh…’ and the fact is, I don’t think Bibi ever wanted to make a deal. I thought the Palestinians were impossible and that the Israelis would do anything to make peace and a deal. I found that not to be true,” he continued.
Trump had praise for Defense Minister Benny Gantz, about whom he said, “I think the general wanted to make a deal… So, Benny Gantz. I really like him a lot. I thought he was great. He came to the White House. He was somebody that, in my opinion, it would have been much easier to make a deal with the Palestinians, than with Netanyahu. The Palestinians hate Netanyahu. They hate him with a passion. They did not hate Gantz. They didn’t hate him.”
“I liked [Gantz]. I thought he was a really impressive guy. He loves Israel…I liked the general a lot. In fact, I said to Jared [Kushner] and David [Friedman], that if he became the guy, if he won, I think it would be a lot easier.”
TOI also reports:
Trump claimed he prevented the Israeli leader from annexing West Bank land (“I got angry and I stopped it”);
When Trump announced his peace plan in January 2020, Netanyahu immediately claimed the administration had given its okay for Israel to annex major chunks of the West Bank containing Israeli settlements, to the jubilation of the Israeli right and alarm of the Palestinians and many international observers.
But Washington quickly expressed reservations, and as time went on it became apparent that the supposed greenlight had not, in fact, been given. Israel eventually abandoned the annexation plan as part of its deal to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain later that year, under American auspices.
Trump, in the interview, said he had stopped the Israeli annexation plan himself.
“I got angry and I stopped it, because that was really going too far. That was going way too far, you know, when [Netanyahu] did the big ‘Let’s build. Let’s take everything and just start building on it.’ We were not happy about that.”
Trump also spoke of his popularity in Israel, one of the only countries in the world in which he had consistently favorable ratings.
Trump without realizing it was actually boosting Bibi in the eyes of all right wingers (and many realistic centrists) in Israel he DID NOT want a Palestinian State. So in other words Bibi was smart enough to let Kushner and Company play their games for Trump’s massive ego believing he was going to the deal of deals.
Also revealing is that Bibi was going to apply sovereignty to all the Jewish Towns and maybe Jordan Valley but Trump put the brakes on this. So in the end Trump did go things for Israel but really stopped Jews in Judea and Samaria from living under Israeli law. This farce of an idea that Israel is ever going to give away these towns or the Jordan is ridiculous.
Actual the deal Abbas wanted to make was the Pals get: to start all of Judea/Samaria and Jerusalem. Then flood Israel with other Arabs from all over to destroy Israel. So anyone saying Abbas wanted a deal is either ignorant, pro destruction of Israel or a liar.
Last night Mark Levin brought up this book and he said Barak Ravid is a leftist who hates Bibi. He compared him to Bob Woodward, just trying to sell books. So who knows how accurate any of this is. Now I’m seeing where Jared Kushner supposedly told the Israeli ambassador to go fuck himself. I never trusted that punk Kushner who’s a liberal. So I don’t know whether to believe the book is bullshit, or the relationship between the Trump administration and Israel wasn’t so rosy after all. I hope Mark Levin is right. But I haven’t heard Trump or anyone from the administration deny anything. So I think its all true.
@Laura
This quote is a part of his conversation with Richard Nixon who himself says a few interesting things about Jews.
Read the book, if you can.
It is kind of depressing but very eye-opening at the same time.
Wow, I had no idea Billy Graham said those things about Jews. I guess we have to be cautious even with Evangelicals.
@Laura
“But any perceived slight, no matter how minor, and he turns against that person on a dime.”
You are right to be cautious.
Here is a quote from a public friend of Israel, Billy Graham, from 1972 Daniel Goldhagen The Devil That Never Dies, 2013 [things got worse since the book was published]:
Bibi waited 5 days after the election to call Biden. At that point, fair or not, it was clear Biden was going to be the president. If Trump thinks Bibi betrayed him by calling Biden after other world leaders congratulated him, then Trump is petty.
I doubt other nations or domestic groups took their cue from Bibi. Trump above all should appreciate Bibi putting Israel first, or what he felt to be in Israel’s interest. Anyway, its rather a minor thing to turn against him over.
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So do I. But any perceived slight, no matter how minor, and he turns against that person on a dime. All Bibi did was make a congratulatory phone call to Biden days after the election. Bibi knew regardless of the fact that there was cheating, there was no way Trump was going to be put back in office. So he felt he needed to called Biden. Trump should have understood and just let it go. I can imagine people having to walk on eggshells when dealing with Trump.
@Edgar
Well stated as always!
@Laura
Regarding Trump, I was never supportive of his peace plan. I did like the sunset clause, of course, and based on the reality that this clause would actually result in the Arabs latest scuttling of a deal to be the end of the deal, this single fact gave me hope for it.
Regarding his current comments, Trump is acting out of spite, freely disparaging Bibi for his very great slight of being among the first to speak for Biden’s victory, making all the easier for other nations to do the same, as well as many domestic US groups as well.
His comment supporting Gantz, the Rogue in Right’s clothing, for instance would suggest an “Anyone But Bibi” tone. He is unencumbered with having any restraint on his words currently as he is not in a position to do anything. Regardless if you or other might believe that Trump could find solace in supporting the Arabs, which is quite unbelievable to me, the Arabs would not allow him any such fantasy for long. Try as he might, Trump could not find a place of comfort among them as they are better apt than anyone to teach him that they are not worthy of his trust.
In any event, should Trump not succeed in his current endeavors to overturn the 2020 election, there is zero reason to expect he could do as a contender in 2024 what he could not do as President in 2020 – namely, to overcome a rigged election where the margin of victory against him was algorithmically per-determined long before the first votes were cast.
@ LAURA-
He may make sounds that he will pressure Israel, to justify his recent remarks, but ultimately I believe strongly that he will do no more than that, and continue his former pro Israel path, with more determination. He is determined to wipe out the curse of Arab terrorism against Jews and Israel; an impossible task- if he can. He won’t succeed, but will show his intentions and give them a succession of bloody noses.
With other Arab states, he will create the atmosphere for approaching Israel. This is a HUGE legacy in itself. He has already made many “legacies” so that they are seeming “normal’. But in any other administration, any one of them would stand out.
I think Trump is highly depressed and angry over the fact that he can not be reinstated in Office, and the obvious whipping boy…which never fights back, is Israel.
He says things which when calmer he knows he doesn’t really mean. He really DOES like the OM< and will not throw away a deep friendship of maybe 40 or more years over this nonsense he is now spouting. It's also afamily closeness with one another.
What for instance, could be more ridiculous than him saying that Abbas wanted a deal more than Netanyahu/. What does he know about thr Arab mind that the P.M. and almost every Israeli doesn't…??? like a joke.
Abbas has made hundreds of "deals" and broken them all as soon as the ink is dry, often before it.
And what kind of a deal could he make which doesn't include nearly all the well publicised Arab demands. …which inevitably lead to the strangulation and ultimate destruction of Israel.
There was also Hamas and other intransigent associated terror groups, to consider, would they go along with an Abbas "deal'…
Poppycock.
@Lara, I share many of your sentiments about Trump and the GOP. He was vewry good to Israel in practice and I appreciate still today!!
However now in his consistently petty vindictive style he is turning on Bibi. He is backing Abbas NOW the first Fatah terrorist. Trump’s ego rules he would liked to have a deal (any deal) just to memorialize himself. Never mind Abbas didn’t agree to negotiate with Trump plan as the basis. His statements are actually very petty and stupid frankly.
Israelis across the political spectrum are talking about what Trump has said. The Israelis no matter whom they support politically, are in the vast majority supporting Bibi in this unfortunate turn of events.
I personally hope that the GOP pick someone else for 2024 my favorite is Mike Pompeo, who would be the most qualified candidate since the first George Bush. I also like Pence, DeSantis and Nicky Haley.
Well Peloni, I find Trump’s comments about Israel in this article to be very revealing.
@Laura
DeSantis has had some very good stands that support the public in recent months, but his refusal to consider and pursue the fraud in his state during the 2020 election should be a Red Flag for us all. His state has been shown to have a 29% Phantom Vote in an enormous sample size. His use of election fraud reform without exposing the election fraud he is supposedly addressing with his reforms would seem not only nonsensicle, but very revealing of his intent. You have to ask why that might be, or I do, in any event. There is in fact only one reason these Reps do not want to expose the election fraud in a state that is not even in question of its outcome due to the exposed fraud. Another such state as Florida is TX. Abbot was very active for a moment in speaking of supporting the election audits, but never actually did more than talk about it. Again, very revealing.
Huckabee was the only candidate in 2016 who said:
By RAPHAEL AHREN
19 August 2015, 6:16 pm
https://www.timesofisrael.com/huckabee-israels-claim-to-judea-and-samaria-stronger-than-us-tie-to-manhattan/
Trump has been lucky in who his enemies are and in just how awfully horrible and dangerous the democrats are, which has by default forced Republicans to depend on and be loyal to him. We need a more principally conservative Republican nominee who is outside of the establishment, but they also have to be a strong fighter, who will withstand the onlslaught of attacks. I think Ron DeSantis fits that bill.
These comments by Trump makes me feel that he will not be as supportive of Israel if he has a second term. In fact he’ll likely place a lot of pressure on Israel to give up territory. Maybe the GOP should move on from Trump. I’d like someone who actually believes Israel has the right to all of its land. At this point I would rather DeSantis be the nominee, or an evangelical. In the beginning during the 2016 primaries, I was skeptical of Trump’s support for Israel as I believed he was going to treat the situation as he would a real estate deal. He really has no understanding of the islamic fanaticism which drives the desire to destroy Israel. They don’t want to deal, they want the end of Israel and will use territory gained in a deal to further terrorism and demands. We saw Israel’s surrender of Gaza led to more terrorism emanating from there. Plus the fact that the “palestinians” have absolutely no territorial rights to any parts of Israel. That is one of the reasons I supported Cruz during the primaries, because his strong faith drives his support for Israel. When Trump became president I was pleasantly surprised at how pro-Israel he was. It turns out my initial instincts were correct and a second term would likely not have been so friendly towards Israel. I’m glad I’m hearing about this now rather than in 2024. My initial view of Trump in not having any real convictions was correct. He’s a business man, a deal maker and an egomaniac. His only true conviction is in having people who are loyal to HIM.