Trump Told Macron He Can Be ‘Tough With Bibi’ When It Comes To Peace Plan
French President Emmanuel Macron and President Trump Image by Getty Images
President Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron last month that he is willing to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept his forthcoming Middle East peace plan, Axios reported.
Trump specifically noted how the U.S. gives Israel billions of dollars in aid every year, according to four Western diplomats with knowledge of the meeting.
Trump and Macron chatted at the time of the United Nations General Assembly last month, Axios reported. Macron said that he didn’t see Netanyahu moving forward with the peace process, as “he loves the status quo.” Trump said he nearly went the same route.
Trump explained that he has been tougher on the Palestinians because they refuse to talk to the U.S.’s Middle East policy team, which is led his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. But if needed, he wouldn’t be opposed to putting pressure on Netanyahu to accept the plan, he reportedly said.
“I can be as tough with Bibi as I have been with the Palestinians,” Trump reportedly said to Macron.
The White House didn’t deny the conversation when asked by Axios.
“The President believes that Prime Minister Netanyahu is committed to pursuing a comprehensive and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” an official said.
This is the first time Trump said anything about pressuring Netanyahu, according to Axios.
A few days after the alleged conversation, ahead of a meeting with Netanyahu, Trump announced that he favors a two-state solution and would roll out his illusive peace plan in four months, JTA reported.
Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.
If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.
Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
