The 1989 Trump Israel Visit That Wasn’t?

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By Naomi Zeveloff May 11, 2017

Last week the Israel State Archive released documents pertaining to Donald Trump’s 1989 visit to Israel, detailing the real estate mogul’s lavish treatment on his first trip to the Jewish state ahead of the president’s diplomatic visit in May.

But people that Trump met with on the trip don’t remember him visiting Israel, raising questions about whether the visit actually took place, according to a Times of Israel investigation.

“I don’t think the visit ever took place,” said Israeli politician Yossi Beilin.

Trump was supposed to meet a minister at Ben Gurion Airport, who Haaretz reported was likely Beilen, then deputy finance minister. But Beilin had no recollection of Trump coming to Israel. Nor did several other politicians.

Trump’s supposed visit began with lunch in Jerusalem. He went to the Dead Sea and the desert crater Mitzpe Ramon before landing in Eilat, where he was considering investing in an airport. He also apparently visited Tel Aviv and Herzliya to scope out possible real estate opportunities. (Trump never invested in Israel.)

Eilat’s former mayor Rafi Hochman didn’t remember meeting Trump in the resort city, even though according to newspaper reports he invited him there.

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at zeveloff@forward.com or on Twitter @naomizeveloff

Naomi Zeveloff is the former Middle East correspondent of the Forward, primarily covering Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

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