Israel quiet ahead of president’s visit
President’s an ally, but ‘no one knows what to make of him’
He’s an ally, but no one knows what to make of him
There aren’t as JERUSALEM many tchotchkes or souvenirs as when past U.S. presidents visited Israel for the first time.
The mood here was uncharacteristically subdued ahead of President Trump’s arrival Monday, even as airport workers set up security barriers. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, eager to make a good impression, instructed all his Cabinet ministers to attend the arrival ceremony after some had planned to skip the event.
In contrast, days before President Obama’s arrival in 2013, his wide smile flashed on outdoor posters, buttons, mugs and the front pages of Israeli newspapers.
Michael Evans, founder and chairman of the Friends of Zion Museum, an evangelical Christian organization, was so bothered by the lack of welcome items that he had posters printed that say “Trump is a Friend of Zion” and “Jerusalem Welcomes Trump” and paid workers to put them up in downtown Jerusalem.
Along Ben Yehuda Street, a popular tourist area, souvenir peddlers shrugged when asked about the lack of Trump trinkets.
“No one knows what to make of him, so no one wants to risk being stuck with unsold junk,” said Miri Cohen, a young Jerusalem mother who was enjoying ice cream with her two toddlers. “We thought he’d be good for us, but maybe he’s unstable.”
Netanyahu, who viewed Obama as a poor ally, greeted Trump’s election with barely disguised joy. Some Israelis have echoed Netanyahu’s approval of the new American president and his first overseas visit, which started over the weekend in Saudi Arabia.
In the past week, Israelis were surprised by news reports that said Trump had shared highly classified Israeli intelligence about an Islamic State plot with Russian officials at the White House. Israeli officials have made few public comments about the incident.
Karen and Aviezer Solomon enjoyed lunch at a café last week along Jerusalem’s Bethlehem Road. “I’m very pleased Trump is coming,” said Aviezer Solomon, a religious Jew. “He is completely pro-Israel. ... It is very important that he will be here and see the land of Israel for himself.”
Trump is scheduled to meet separately with Netanyahu on Monday and then with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday. Trump will also pray at the Western Wall — the holiest site for Jews — as well as visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and lay a wreath at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial.
Jerusalem and Bethlehem are only 51⁄ miles apart but are separated by a military checkpoint and a border wall Trump has openly admired. Residents of each city cannot freely visit the other.
On Bethlehem’s Star Street, a 19th-century alleyway leading to Nativity Square, Assem Barakat, 47, tended to his shop, full of fabrics, clothing and elaborate jewelry boxes. As in Jerusalem, no hint of Trump souvenirs was visible.
Barakat, a Muslim, did not have many illusions. “As a Palestinian, Trump is difficult. He is so pro-Israeli, so it will be like a pilgrimage.”