Trump’s team to PA:
‘There is no Palestine, Jerusalem is not your capital’
One can’t but help loving this man’s style of built-in deniability. Take the first lines of this widely-dispersed media report this morning: “Trump’s team is reportedly in contact with the Palestinians but has set a new tone regarding negotiations with Israel…”
As a news-person, the only ‘attributable’ statements he ever makes are on twitter – and yesterday just one of those which caused lawmakers’ phones to ring off their hooks and it stopped Congress in its tracks.
But even this is sketchy as an ‘attributable’ source as it could have been sent by the same team but on his account.
This is a great story – the problem to newsmen, and to informed lawmakers and the public of the world, is that it is not attributable.
Consider if you will the remainder of the story which is on a known good reporting website World Israel News. What follows is reported verbatim, with only the cold and/or italic type added to make the point of vagueness which would not usually stand up to journalistic scrutiny:
President-elect Donald Trump’s transitional team has recently been in contact with the Palestinians on how to proceed with diplomatic negotiations.
Israel Radio, in a report on Tuesday, quoted sources within Trump’s team and among Palestinian Authority officials who affirmed that the contacts were taking place.
In the report, an unnamed “senior official” working for Trump is said to have asked a senior Palestinian official why they would object to moving the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to western Jerusalem.
The official replied that there should be a parallel move, that Washington should establish a US embassy for ‘Palestine’ in eastern Jerusalem and one for Israel in the west side of the city.
The Palestinians envision the eastern side of Israel’s capital as its own. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem would be the final death blow to the failed peace negotiations, the Palestinians have threatened.
The Trump official reported(ly sic!) replied that “there is no Palestine, and Jerusalem is not your capital. If you stop the incitement to terror, put in place full economic transparency, stop acting unilaterally at UN bodies and accept a US embassy in west Jerusalem, we (the US) would consider a US diplomatic mission in Ramallah and call upon the Israelis to enter into serious negotiations with you on a long-term relationship.”
The Palestinian official then demanded that Israel stop construction in Judea and Samaria, as well as in eastern Jerusalem, adding that negotiations for a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders should promptly commence.
According to sources from both sides, the two senior officials agreed to stay in touch, while no final commitments were made.
By: World Israel News Staff
Now, let’s be clear – as a committed Zionist I am personally thrilled to hear this ‘news’.
However, as a professional journalist, it sends chills down my spine. Here’s why:
And yet, The Donald is able to have the world’s media accept all of this and publish such a story. Clearly, if there was no basis in fact the so-called, nameless, faceless ‘Trump-team’ would very quickly distance itself from the story.
Or the President-elect would tweet something.
This is a whole new style of communication. It beggars belief that editors accept or allow such loose ends when reporting facts. But, put plainly, it is the only channel of communication that is open. And may remain so…
I know of no other person in the history of news media whose messages would be accepted and published as facts in this way.
Dr C D Goldberg
Feb 2, 2017 at 10:34 am
‘It is correct, that if one looks at the map of the Holy Land in a Bible Atlas, and the promise made to the Jewish People as contained in the Torah and Tanach (Old Testament), then the whole of the area belongs to the Jews. To give one a better idea the map of Palestine as homeland for the Jews was much bigger, until the British gave one half to the Arabs as Trans Jordan and eventually blocked Jews from seeking refuge in the area remaining that was set aside for the Jews, resulting in the Shoah in which 6 000 000 plus was murdered by the Nazis and their allies. Having said this, the Palestinians with constant rocket shelling of Israel and other acts of terroirism is what put caused to voters in Israel to vote Likud into power. If a two state solution is to be attempted, then the Palestinians will have to co-operate with Israel propper, and start developing their ecomomy and infrastructure and cease all acts of terrorism and the wanton desire to kill Jews wherever they are to be found. ‘
Adam
Jul 19, 2017 at 6:54 am
‘I think that Mr Goldberg needs to do a bit more research before claiming lands.
The Jews of the time were indeed promised the land…’if they went forth with Moses into the city, without fear and full of faith\”
They fled…and we’re forever cursed..thus the reason for them roaming for 40 years. The land was never theirs to begin with Mr Goldberg. .
In any event…the massacre of women and children will never be acceptable..no matter what religion you belong to. I have respect for Christians, Muslims and Jews..but Zionists are an evil regime which is the root of all these problems. The Jews living in Palestine are also against the Zionists…so why should the write of this article claim to be proud to be a zionist. . Rather be ashamed
‘