Trump and Netanyahu
Photo: Reuters
Israel's right-wing celebrates Trump's speech
After US President Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday expressing his wish for peace in the region and rebuking the PA's policy of giving stipends to families of terrorists, the Israeli right-wing celebrated his 'unprecedented' speech, calling it a new era in the US-Israel relations.
The right-wing celebrated US President Donald Trump's speech Tuesday, claiming that it was "unprecedented" and calling it a "huge accomplishment."
Trump touched Tuesday on many subjects near and dear to the right-wing, such as Iran's support of terrorism and the Palestinian National Authority's policy to give stipends to the families of terrorists, echoing their positions on the subjects.
Trump and Netanyahu (Photo: Reuters)
At the end of his speech, Minister of Science, Technology and Space Ofir Akunis (Likud) turned to his fellow party members and said "Gentlemen, we have a new member in the Likud. This is an unprecedented speech. There hasn't been anything like this in the history of the Israel-US relations."
Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin (Likud) agreed, saying it was "a huge accomplishment for Israeli politics."
Culture and Sport Minister Miri Regev (Likud) summarized her party's views, saying that it was "a brave speech that returned values and justice to the international political discourse."
"God bless Donald J. Trump," Regev added in English.
Miri Regev (L) and Ofir Akunis (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
The opposition too found some solace in the US president's speech.
"Trump clarified that, as he sees it, both Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu are partners (in the efforts) for peace," said MK Tzipi Livni (Hatnuah). "Now it's up to them to prove him right. I wish them good luck."
On a related note, former Prime Minister's Office's chief of staff Natan Eshel made an interesting claim during one of Trump's speeches. As Trump was winding down, Minister Akunis told Eshel that it was a wonderful correction to Netanyahu's 2009 speech at Bar-Ilan University, in which he first mentioned the two-state solution.
Natan Eshel (Photo: Avishag Shaar-Yashuv)
Eshel then responded by claiming it was his idea for Netanyahu to mention it. "Bar-Ilan was actually my idea," he told Akunis. "I told Netanyahu: 'you have to either say or do, so why not saying just a bit?'"
(Translated & edited by Lior Mor)
