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Netanyahu “responded calmly,” explaining that he was part of the solution. Still, Kushner wrote that he could see that Trump was clearly “disappointed.”
Kushner did not appear to say why he thought Netanyahu responded that way.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said that “Contrary to claims, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has repeatedly asked President Trump to move the embassy, appreciates this decision.
Before making the decision, President Trump told Prime Minister Netanyahu, “Some of my people are saying this move would be dangerous for the United States. What is your opinion?’ Netanyahu responded that he saw no real danger and there was no reason not to move the embassy.
“It is doubtful that the embassy would have been moved if Netanyahu had responded to the president differently.”
Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel since its founding in 1948, although most of the international community did not recognize this because the original United Nations partition plan required Jerusalem to be an international city.
Senior adviser to US President Jared Kushner (right) speaks as US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman addresses the official opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
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Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017, when he announced plans to move the embassy there. In May 2018, his administration opened the new facility, a move that was met with intense controversy in both Washington and the Middle East.
After the move, the Palestinians, who see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, severed ties with Washington, describing the Trump administration as biased against Israel.
At the time, Trump said the decision was made to advance US interests and peace in the region, as well as respecting Israel’s sovereignty.
Kushner’s book also revealed that Trump was frustrated by the three-hour meal he attended with Netanyahu during his 2017 visit.
“It was nice, but every time I thought the meal was going to end, another course would come out,” Trump apparently told Kushner, complaining that the then-prime minister was “talking my ear off.”
Netanyahu and Trump maintained a good relationship throughout their tenure until Trump felt it betrayal Written by Netanyahu when he congratulated current US President Joe Biden on winning the 2020 election.
Kushner is married to Trump’s eldest daughter, Ivanka, and has served as a White House adviser. He played a major role in the previous administration’s Middle East policy, participating in the diplomatic push that led to the Ibrahim Accords, a peace treaty that saw Israel establish diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
Israeli staff contributed to this report.
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