Pro-Israel, Jewish World, Take Up Sides in Trump Israel Envoy Gambit

While media has been stretched by the volumes of controversies catalogued during the bizarre US presidential election cycle of 2016, some of Israel’s staunchest supporters and most ardent members of the Jewish community are wondering how little Israel once again managed to climb to the top of heap with its own election-related saga. At issue is the appointment of New York attorney and Trump confidant David Friedman to be Washington’s next ambassador to the Jewish state. Unlike previous envoys – both career diplomats and political appointees have served in the position – Friedman eschewed the conventional wisdoms that dominate the ongoing and seemingly fruitless quest for an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Foremost is Friedman’s willingness to forego the mantra of a two-state solution which for at least the last three administrations has been the litmus test of whether a politician or diplomat was “with the program” or “fringe.” Friedman also espouses American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the move to Jerusalem of the US Embassy – an act Palestinian chief negotiator Sa’ib Erakat says will cause “All hope to vanish.” Coming on the heels of an internecine blood bath triggered by the bitter partisan fight over the Iranian nuclear deal and the somewhat unprecedented phenomenon of Jewish Americans openly opposing Israeli policy, Friedman triggered a maelstrom with his indictment of the liberal lsrael lobby JStreet as “not Jewish” and “not pro-Israel.” In response, the organization is circulating an on-line petition to block the appointment. Hugely, too, is the array of well-known opinion writers and other dissenters with a platform that doubtless exceeds the sheer tonnage of blowback received by any other ambassador-designate in recent memory. Lost in heat of the moment is the tradition to allow a president-elect to have his own team or that an ambassador is not one who makes policy — just an emissary of those who do. One seasoned pundit told us “It’s an election within an election,” while another characterized it as “a potentially cathartic opportunity for those upset by the election results.” Regardless of your position, we’d like to hear it (reasoned, not ranting). Send to editor@themedialine.org.