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Formulating the Peace Plan: "The U.S. Stood with Israel When It Made Cogent Arguments"

(Jerusalem Post) Dore Gold interviewed by Lahav Harkov - Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) President Dore Gold quietly helped the U.S. peace team, but only went public with his involvement when he attended the peace plan's rollout. Gold told the Jerusalem Post that for the past two years he was fielding "dual invitations" from the U.S. and Israel to help hammer out the details of the latest proposal. Gold, an experienced diplomat and former director-general of the Israel Foreign Ministry, said that Jason Greenblatt was the main player. "He may have come in as a real estate lawyer, but he left as a Middle East expert. You need people who are very pragmatic in this business." David Friedman brought a "special connection" with Trump to the team. "I've never seen a U.S. ambassador who could reach in to the Oval [Office] like Friedman did. We had the president in the room without him being there." Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer had the same kind of relationship with Netanyahu, "which allowed this to move along." Jared Kushner offered "strong support" to the team. "Trust was an invaluable component of what made this negotiation work," Gold stated. "The trust between the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government was so great that it became possible to have a discussion...over maps, which was revolutionary." For Gold, the biggest win for Israel in the peace plan is support for Israel applying sovereignty to the Jordan Valley. He pointed out that former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin said in his final speech to the Knesset that Israel cannot give up the Jordan Valley. In the past, American negotiators doubted Israel's need for a physical presence in the Jordan Valley, and thought about technical solutions instead. Gold explained: "What decides wars is the movement of ground armies. As long as that is the case, then the conditions affecting land warfare, like topography, terrain and strategic depth, are part of the requirements for Israel's national security....Ultimately the U.S. stood with Israel when Israel made cogent arguments."
2020-01-31 00:00:00
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