Netanyahu to cabinet ministers–Don't speculate publicly on Trump's Mideast policies

Prime Minister orders cabinet members not to make public declarations about implications Trump victory may have in Israel.

ed note–there is only one conceivable reason for Netanyahu to order such a thing, which is that he knows they are dealing with an entirely different set of circumstances with Trump and must walk gingerly rather than resorting to the typically Judaic method of threats and demands. More than likely, they do not want to antagonize him for fear of what will come their way as a result, whether it is aid or whether it is Trump’s recent statements concerning a final resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian situation. 

Israel National News

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called Sunday for ministers to refrain from commenting on Donald Trump’s election, after some Israeli politicians claimed Trump’s win last Tuesday meant the end of the two-state solution, long advocated by the US State Department under both Republican and Democratic administrations.

Netanyahu has been cautious in his comments both during the presidential election season and since Trump’s stunning victory on November 8, sending congratulations and pledging to
work with him.

But some coalition partners have seen in Trump’s win an end to the business as usual in Washington, including expectations in the Beltway that the Arab-Israeli conflict will be solved by the formation of a Palestinian state.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett, (Jewish Home), claimed last week that “the era of a Palestinian state is over”.

Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting: “President-elect Trump and I decided to meet soon in order to discuss all of the important issues on the agenda between the US and Israel.”

“I request that all ministers, deputy ministers and (lawmakers) allow the incoming administration to formulate — together with us — its policy vis-a-vis Israel and the region, through accepted and quiet channels, and not via interviews and statements.”

Trump’s win is seen as likely leading to a far more favorable US policy toward Israel, though many analysts have cautioned that his thinking remains unclear and he has proven himself to be unpredictable.

Netanyahu was among the first leaders Trump spoke to after his election victory.

At the same time, Israel is concerned that President Barack Obama may seek a UN resolution on its conflict with the Palestinian Authority that the Jewish state opposes before he leaves office on January 20.

Obama’s administration has intensified its criticism of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria in recent months.

“In recent years we have wisely and responsibly managed our relations with the United States — the greatest and most important of our allies — and we will continue to do so in the coming months and years,” Netanyahu said.

The premier also said Trump had “expressed very deep friendship for Israel, a friendship which has characterized him and, I must add, also the team around him, for many years”.