Labor lawmaker says ‘give Trump a chance’ on peace talks

A senior opposition lawmaker, Labor Party secretary general and Zionist Union MK Hilik Bar, who also heads the Knesset caucus for the two-state solution, also rejects the view that Trump’s election means the end of two-state peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.

Bar says he believes “Trump will understand that for Jews in Israel, it’s important to separate from the Palestinians.”

“I believe that Trump will understand that what [Jewish Home MK Betzalel] Smotrich said is fundamentally wrong and the two-state solution is the only solution that will ensure a safe, democratic life for the Jewish people, with a Jewish majority in Israel.”

“We have to give him a chance,” says Bar.

Bar says he didn’t come out in support of either candidate, because “just as I don’t like it when others intervene in our elections, I don’t think it’s the role of any Israeli to meddle with the political or democratic process in the US.”

— Marissa Newman