US Ambassador David Friedman slams the Palestinian reaction to US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, describing the response as being provocative, unnecessary, and anti-Semitic.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Friedman, who strongly supported the US policy shift regarding the capital, says the Palestinians were “largely emotional” and “unfortunately overreacted.” Trump, he notes, had made clear that the US was “not taking a position on any final status issues, including the specific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.”
American Ambassador to Israel David Friedman attends a meeting of the lobby for Israel–United States relations at the Knesset, July 25, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The Palestinian response was “ugly, needlessly provocative and antisemitic,” Friedman says.
But despite the Palestinians saying they would no longer accept the US as having a role in the peace process, Friedman remains confident that American would remain involved at Israel’s insistence.
“Israel has made it clear that they will not engage under the sponsorship of any other nation,” he says. “You cannot clap with one hand. Moreover, only the United States has the regional credibility to bring forward a historic peace agreement.”
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