Trump ‘Considering’ Moving Embassy To Jerusalem? You Can’t Be Serious.
Image by Getty Images
By Nathan Guttman March 27, 2017
Vice President Mike Pence’s promise that President Trump is “giving serious consideration” to the idea of relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem won applauds from the AIPAC audience Sunday night.
But the wording didn’t fool veteran Middle East watchers — they say the embassy ain’t going anywhere fast.
One of them, Martin Indyk, a former ambassador to Israel and peace envoy, responded in a sarcastic tweet:
“Trump will still be seriously considering it 4 yrs from now. G. W. Bush seriously considered it for 8 yrs. We’re freiers to think otherwise.”
The term “freiers” is Hebrew slang for suckers.
During the campaign, Trump promised he would move the embassy to Israel immediately upon taking office. His tone changed after hearing from Arab leaders and foreign policy officials that the move could ignite violence, leading the administration to now use more ambiguous language when referring to the possible move.
Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected]
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
