Trump Envoy Jason Greenblatt Greeted With Kosher Food At UAE Iftar Dinner

Jason Greenblatt. Image by The Trump Organization

By Nathan Guttman June 15, 2017

Jason Greenblatt, the adviser on negotiations to President Trump who is busy trying to re-start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, was invited on Wednesday to an Iftar, the dinner ending the day of fasting during the Muslim month of Ramadan, at the residence of Yousef Al Otaiba, United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to Washington.

What Greenblatt found on his plate led him to pull out his phone and take a photo: It was a fully kosher dinner, brought in especially for him. “Thank you Amb. Al Otaiba for inviting me to the Iftar dinner at @UAEEmbassyUS & for providing me with kosher food. Ramadan Kareem!” Greenblatt tweeted, using the Arabic blessing for a happy Ramadan.

Thank you Amb. Al Otaiba for inviting me to the Iftar dinner at @UAEEmbassyUS & for providing me with kosher food. Ramadan Kareem! pic.twitter.com/u8LGEpUgiH

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— Jason D. Greenblatt (@jdgreenblatt45) June 15, 2017

It remains to be seen whether the incident was a sign of further warming of relations with Gulf countries, or just a simple gesture toward an observant Jewish dignitary.

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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