Trump to put Jewish son-in-law in charge of Israeli-Palestinian talks
The president-elect will appoint Jared Kushner, the husband of his daughter Ivanka, to 'secure an Israel deal'
Donald Trump has said he will put his 35-year old Jewish son-in-law in charge of Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, but has rowed back from an earlier commitment to move the American embassy to Jerusalem
In the president-elect’s first major interviews with European media, with The Times and German newspaper Bild, he said that Jared Kushner – the husband of his daughter Ivanka – would “secure an Israel deal”.
Last week Kushner was appointed senior adviser to Trump, but despite critics accusing the incoming commander-in-chief of nepotism, the new U.S. president has stuck to earlier suggestions that his son-in-law would play a key role in securing a Middle East peace deal.
Trump said: “You know what? Jared is such a good lad. He will secure an Israel deal which no one else has managed to get. You know, he’s a natural talent, he is the top. He is a natural talent. You know what I’m talking about – a natural talent. He has an innate ability to make deals. Everyone likes him.”
Kushner is a New York real-estate mogul, like Trump, and ran the successful candidate’s social media campaign during the election. He has since taken an increasingly prominent role in Trump’s top team, even discussing U.K.-U.S. policy with Boris Johnson during British Foreign Secretary’s recent visit to the U.S.
Asked about President Obama’s refusal to veto a U.N. resolution condemning Jewish settlements in the West Bank late last year, Trump said the abstention was “terrible” and urged Britain to veto any forthcoming resolutions this week, during Obama’s last days in power.
“I would hope for a British veto,” he said. “I think it would be great if Great Britain would place a veto, because I’m not sure if the U.S. would do so, extraordinarily enough. They won’t do it, right? Do you believe the U.S. will place a veto?”
He added: “I have Jewish friends who organised a donor event for Obama. I say to them: ‘What on earth are you doing? OK, what are you doing?’”
For the first time, however, he refused to be re-commit to his campaign promise to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move that analysts have said could trigger a new round of Palestinian violence. “I’m not going to comment on that,” he said. “But we’ll see.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
