Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Trump never planned to give the Palestinians a state, says former ambassador David Friedman

“Global Perspectives” with Ellie Cohanim, Ep. 28

Former U.S. President Donald Trump was never planning to give the Palestinians a state, his former ambassador told JNS.

In an interview with Ellie Cohanim, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman says that former President Donald Trump understood that Israel has only “held onto land” when it was essential for the country’s security and “where the land represents the biblical history of the Jewish people.”

Trump’s “Peace for Prosperity” Mideast plan had new territorial dimensions, which gave the Palestinians a significant amount of incremental territory, he said. But when push came to shove: “Would they have a state in the traditional sense? No, they would not.”

Friedman’s new book, Sledgehammer: How Breaking with the Past Brought Peace to the Middle East was recently published by HarperCollins.

Watch it below and subscribe to the JNS YouTube channel.

It also airs on the Jewish Broadcasting Service (JBS).

About Global Perspectives with Ellie Cohanim: “Global Perspectives” is Jewish News Syndicate’s newest production. Join former U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism at the U.S. Department of State Ellie Cohanim, as she hosts some of the most important geopolitical conversations taking place in the Jewish world today. Cohanim, a sought-after speaker in her own right, interviews heads of state, policymakers, thought leaders and activists, in frank and open discussions.

“We never made that promise. We never indicated that was going to be the case,” said the U.S. vice president.
One assailant linked to Islamic State was killed and two others wounded in a battle with police in Istanbul.
Five other soldiers were injured in the incident that killed Staff-Sgt. Touvel Yosef Lifshiz, 20, from Beit She’an.
The president threatens unprecedented strikes if Tehran violates the emerging deal during the two-week truce.
The prime minister denied reports that Washington blindsided the Jewish state with the two-week ceasefire, saying the announcement was made “in full coordination with Israel.”
The Strait of Hormuz has been closed in the wake of the Israeli Air Force’s pummeling of Hezbollah, an IRGC-affiliated news agency reported.