Report: Senior U.S. Embassy official in Israel worked to advance Netanyahu's policy at Trump's expense
A New York Times report reveals that a senior official at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem worked to advance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies toward President Donald Trump, bypassing official administration positions on key political issues. The official leveraged his closeness to Ambassador Mike Huckabee to soften American criticism of Israel.
A New York Times report reveals that a senior official at the United States Embassy in Jerusalem systematically worked to advance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies toward President Donald Trump, even when these policies clashed with the official policy lines set by the U.S. administration. According to the report, published Thursday, the official presented Netanyahu's policies in a positive light to Trump, aiming to soften criticism from the administration and strengthen the prime minister's standing while bypassing official positions on key regional issues. The moves he attempted to promote included efforts to block public or covert criticism from Washington regarding the Netanyahu government's conduct in Judea and Samaria and in managing political crises. The official leveraged his closeness to the U.S. ambassador, Mike Huckabee, and his pronounced pro-Israel views. The report points to an unusual action by an American diplomat acting contrary to the policy of the administration he represents.