Three former foreign policy officials from Donald Trump's administration met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other public figures in Israel on Monday, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The delegation was made up of Robert O'Brien, Trump's fourth and final national security adviser, as well as former US ambassador to the UAE John Rakolta and former ambassador to Switzerland Ed McMullen, the source shared with Reuters, who requested anonymity since the trip was not public knowledge.
In addition to Netanyahu, the delegation met with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and several other Israeli officials, the source said.
One of the main objectives of the trip was to gain a better understanding of Israel's complex internal political situation, according to the source.
Netanyahu's coalition is riddled with internal disagreements, with many Israelis blaming the government for failing to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7.
This is a rare case of Trump allies traveling abroad in an organized delegation to meet with foreign officials.
The trip took place at a time when relations between Israel and the government of US President Joe Biden are tense due to Israeli conduct in the war in Gaza.
This Monday (20), the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague said he requested arrest warrants against Netanyahu, his defense chief and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders rejected accusations of war crimes and representatives from both sides criticized the move.
More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's seven-month offensive against the Gaza Strip, according to health officials in the Hamas-ruled enclave.
The war began when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping another 253, of whom well over 100 remain in captivity in Gaza as far as is known, according to Israeli counts.
It was not clear what the delegation of the former president's allies discussed with the Israelis. The source who spoke to Reuters said the group was not acting at the request of the former president and had no message to deliver to Israeli authorities.
“But they all serve as informal advisers to Trump, and the former president will likely receive a report on the meetings,” the person added.
The Republican candidate has occasionally criticized Israel for its Gaza operation and blamed Netanyahu for failing to stop the Oct. 7 attack. But Trump presents himself as a closer ally to Israel than Democrat Biden, his opponent in the November 5 election.
The White House declined to comment when asked about the meeting.
The Israeli prime minister's office did not respond to a request for comment at first.
Source: CNN Brasil
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