Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 16 May 2017
Israel-US spat erupts ahead of Trump visit to region

By JOSEF FEDERMAN is set to celebrate the 50- astonishment” and that Is- paign platform made no groups, has backtracked
Associated Press year anniversary of what it rael had asked the White mention of an indepen- from some of his controver-
JERUSALEM (AP) — A dip- calls the unification of Jeru- House for an explanation. dent Palestinian state. sial positions.
lomatic spat on Monday salem. “We are convinced that He showed little concern On Monday, Friedman, an
erupted between U.S. and However, the international this remark is in contradic- about Israeli settlement Orthodox Jew, arrived in Is-
Israeli officials, just days be- community does not rec- tion to the policy of Presi- construction on occupied rael to take up his new post
fore a planned visit by Pres- ognize Israel’s annexation dent Trump,” the official lands claimed by the Pal- and traveled straight to
ident Donald Trump, after the Western Wall to pray. In
an American representa- an apparent coincidence,
tive questioned Israel’s Steven Tyler, lead singer of
claim to one of the holiest Aerosmith, was visiting at
sites in Judaism. the same time and briefly
Israel angrily demanded spoke to Friedman. Aeros-
an explanation from the mith is set to perform in Tel
White House, casting a Aviv on Wednesday.
cloud over the highly an- “We wanted to come
ticipated visit by the new straight to the holiest place
president, which is being in the entire Jewish world,
greeted with a mixture of the ‘Kotel HaMaaravi’, the
excitement and nervous- Western Wall, straight from
ness by Israeli officials. the airport,” Friedman told
The spat reportedly erupt- reporters. “I prayed for the
ed during preparations for president, I wished him suc-
Trump’s visit, during which cess especially on his up-
he is planning a stop at the coming trip.”
Western Wall in Jerusalem’s But since taking office,
Old City. Trump has called for re-
There was no immediate straint in settlement con-
comment from the White struction and signaled he is
House. no hurry to move the em-
The Western Wall is revered U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, center, visits the Western Wall, the holiest site where bassy. Earlier this month, he
as the holiest site where Jews can pray in Jerusalem’s Old City, Monday, May 15, 2017. A diplomatic spat on Monday held a warm meeting with
Jews can pray, and ac- erupted between U.S. and Israeli officials just days before a planned visit by President Donald the Palestinian president,
cording to Channel 2 TV, Trump. Mahmoud Abbas, at the
Israeli Prime Minister Ben- (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner) White House.
jamin Netanyahu asked to Israeli Education Minister
join Trump. of east Jerusalem, which said, speaking on condi- estinians, expressed sup- Naftali Bennett, a senior
The report said the Ameri- the Palestinians seek as tion of anonymity because port for recognizing Jerusa- member of Netanyahu’s
cans rebuffed the request, the capital of a future in- he was not authorized to lem as Israel’s capital and coalition government,
with one official telling the dependent state. The Old talk to the media. vowed to move the U.S. voiced concern Monday
Israelis the site is “not your City is also home to the Al Israeli officials appear to Embassy from Tel Aviv to that “there has been a
territory.” It said the com- Aqsa Mosque, the third- be growing increasingly Jerusalem. kind of change in the spir-
ment prompted shouting holiest site in Islam. nervous over Trump’s visit, He also surrounded himself it” of Trump’s statements
from the Israeli preparatory The rival claims to east Je- when he is expected to with a core of advisers with since he was elected.
team. rusalem lie at the heart of make an attempt at re- strong ties to the West Bank Bennett said he was
Israel captured the Old the Israeli-Palestinian con- launching long-stalled settlement movement, in- not sure why Trump has
City, along with the rest of flict and often boil over into peace talks with the Pales- cluding his ambassador, changed his rhetoric.
east Jerusalem, in the 1967 violence. tinians. David Friedman. Bennett said he welcomed
Mideast war. It considers An official in Netanyahu’s On the campaign trail, Friedman, a fundraiser for Trump’s arrival next week,
the entire city to be its eter- office said the U.S. com- Trump voiced solidly pro- settlement causes and vo- but said Israel also has to
nal capital and next week ment was “received with Israel positions. His cam- cal critic of liberal Jewish stick to its positions. q

Saudi king touts Trump’s Islamic summit as “new partnership”

By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI president, which will also in- on Saturday for bilateral ruled Iran. Salman praised Salman expressed hope the
AYA BATRAWY clude stops in Israel and the talks aimed at repairing re- Trump in a telephone call May 21 summit with Arab
Associated Press Vatican. The kingdom, in lations that were strained in April, describing him as and Muslim leaders “will es-
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) an effort to show its reach under the Obama adminis- “courageous” for authoriz- tablish a new partnership in
— Saudi Arabia’s King and convening pow- tration. Saudi Arabia views ing a U.S. military strike on a confronting extremism and
Salman on Monday touted ers, has invited dozens of Trump’s visit as a way to Syrian air base following a terrorism,” according to a
an upcoming meeting be- heads of state from across shore up support among its chemical attack there. He statement he made during
tween President Donald the Middle East, Africa and allies and with Washington also dispatched his son and a weekly Cabinet meeting
Trump and heads of state Asia to a summit with Trump against its rival Iran. the second-in-line to the and published by the offi-
from across Muslim-majori- on Sunday. Some local me- The leaders of Syria and throne, Prince Mohammed cial Saudi Press Agency.
ty nations as the start of a dia reports say more than Iran were not invited to bin Salman, to Washington Trump is also expected to
new relationship that will 50 top dignitaries were in- the summit. The Sunni-ruled for a meeting with Trump meet separately with the
strengthen global security. vited by the Saudi mon- kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in March and appointed Arab rulers of the six-nation
Trump is scheduled to visit arch to attend. Trump and backing efforts to topple another as ambassador to Gulf Cooperation Council
Saudi Arabia this weekend Salman will be meeting for the Syrian government, Washington to strengthen during his visit to Saudi Ara-
for his first overseas trip as the first time in Saudi Arabia which is backed by Shiite- ties under Trump. bia. q