Report: Senior official at US embassy in Israel worked to advance Netanyahu's policy at Trump's expense
A New York Times report reveals that a senior official at the US embassy in Jerusalem worked to advance Netanyahu's policy vis-à-vis Trump, bypassing official administration positions on key policy issues. The official used his closeness to Ambassador Huckabee to soften American criticism of Israel.
A New York Times report reveals that a senior official at the United States embassy in Jerusalem worked systematically to advance the policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vis-à-vis President Donald Trump, even when that policy clashed with the official policy lines set by the American administration. According to the report, published today (Thursday), the official presented Netanyahu's policy in a positive light before Trump, in order to soften criticism from the administration and strengthen the prime minister's standing while bypassing official positions on key issues in the region. The moves he tried to advance included attempts to block public or covert criticism from Washington of the conduct of Netanyahu's government in Judea and Samaria and in the handling of diplomatic crises. The official used his closeness to the American ambassador, Mike Huckabee, and his distinctly pro-Israel positions. The report points to unusual activity by an American diplomat acting contrary to the policy of the administration he represents.