Lapid to Netanyahu: Don’t push Trump into a corner

Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid wishes Netanyahu luck in his trip to Washington, DC, to meet with Trump, and cautions him against making immediate political demands during his first encounter with the new president.

Speaking at his weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Lapid says the prime minister should not push Trump “into a corner,” and urges ministers to stop asking Netanyahu to use the meeting as an opportunity to push settlement policy.

“It’s almost absurd that I need to say it from the opposition, but I call upon the members of the government and the coalition to give the prime minister their support during this visit, not to expect too much and to remember that managing the country is a long process which requires all of us to act responsibly,” Lapid says.

“There must be a limit to the irresponsibility. Israel’s security and foreign affairs can’t be thrown to one side because of politicians who are only interested in themselves,” he says, adding that this first meeting is not the time to talk about the Palestinian issue.

“The Palestinian issue is a central part of the discussion about Israel’s security, but there will be time for that. We have seen time and again that the Americans don’t like being forced into a corner, exactly as we don’t like it when others try to push us into a corner.”

Instead, Lapid says, Netanyahu should focus the discussions on three issues: creating a united front against Iran; ending attacks on Israel in international forums; and trying to secure a promise from the president that Israel will be exempt from any attempt to force American companies to bring their factories back from abroad.

— Raoul Wootliff