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ISRAEL WELCOMES TRUMP — Top 5 tweets: 1. Gil Hoffman: “Camera picks up Sara Netanyahu telling the Trumps: Also us the press hates and the public loves.” 2. Amy Spiro: “OMG. MK Oren Hazan to Trump: “They call me the Israeli Donald Trump.” #imnotmakingthisup” • Hazan also took a selfie with Trump much to the chagrin of Bibi [Pic] 3. Dan Shapiro‏: “Jackets on.” [Pic] Flashback to Obama and Bibi on the runway [Pic] 4. Chemi Shalev‏: “If Trump would learn to stick to script, as he has on much of this trip, he wouldn’t have half the troubles he’s having.” 5. Jason Greenblatt‏: “With U.S. Amb. to Israel, David Friedman, and other colleagues aboard Marine 3. We are so lucky to be here with great care by the Marines!” [Pic]

Small talk: “What is the protocol?” Trump inquired of the Israeli Prime Minister as they walked the red carpet at Ben Gurion airport. “Who knows,” Netanyahu said. “I think they’ll just tell us where to stand.”

Trump in remarks at the welcoming ceremony: “During my travels in recent days, I have found new reasons for hope… We have before us a rare opportunity to bring security and stability and peace to this region and to its people, defeating terrorism and creating a future of harmony prosperity and peace… But we can only get there working together. We love Israel, we respect Israel, and I bring the warmest greetings from your friend and ally, all of the people of the United States of America.” [YouTube]

KAFE KNESSET — by Tal Shalev and JPost’s Lahav Harkov: Every minister who was at the airport got a chance to share his or her two cents with POTUS. Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett, who often laments that Bibi doesn’t tell Trump what Israel really wants, said “It is the 50th anniversary of Jerusalem’s reunification, and we expect you to be the first President to recognize a united Jerusalem.” Trump responded: “That’s a good one.” Trump also complimented Regev on her dress. And, after introducing him to the first Druse minister Israel has ever had, Netanyahu had to steer Trump away from Ayoub Kara, who was talking too much for the premier’s taste. Read today’s entire Kafe Knesset here [JewishInsider]

At the start of his meeting with President Rivlin in Jerusalem, Trump put pressure on his aides: “I have some talented people, but in particular, Jason [Greenblatt], you love Israel so much, that you left a very, very, very substantial job to be able to help on a peace treaty, you would like to see that, wouldn’t you. David Friedman, likewise, one of the most successful lawyers.” Trump pointed to Greenblatt and Friedman as his representatives to negotiate peace. “If not, you’ll be blamed because I just put it on record,” he joked.

ADVICE FROM AN ISRAEL TRIP PRO — Dan Senor: “Israel should have cut back on President’s residence ceremony and instead insisted on more time for Trump visit to Yad VaShem” [Twitter]

MAKING HISTORY: Trump becomes the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Western Wall [Pic] • Video [YouTube]

David Horovitz: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not join him at the wall. The president was not overly acknowledging Israeli sovereignty at the site. This was not an act of provocation. It was a carefully calibrated signal of respect. And as such, immensely appreciated by his Israeli hosts.” [ToI]

Later today… Trump will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu at the King David Hotel. In the evening, Netanyahu will host the President and First Lady Melania Trump at his residence in Jerusalem.

Tuesday’s schedule… In the morning, Trump will visit Bethlehem to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The President will visit Yad Vashem at 1:00 pm(Israel time), accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu, and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Israel Meir Lau. Trump will rekindle the eternal flame and lay a wreath at the Hall of Remembrance. Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev will present the President with a token of remembrance, an exact replica of the original Holocaust-era personal album that belonged to Ester Goldstein who was murdered during the Holocaust at the age of 16. [Livestream]

Trump arrived in Israel at a critical moment in the U.S.-Israeli relations. Eager to broker the ‘ultimate deal’ between Israel and the Palestinians, Trump will have to reassure wary Israelis that he has their back and that the early stumbles of his administration are of the past.

BUT… speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Sec. of State Rex Tillerson said this: “Onto the second stop, Tel Aviv, home of Judaism, obviously, second of the great religions the President is going to also ask to join with all of us in this fight against terrorism.”

Tillerson on whether the Western Wall is part of Israel: “The wall is part of Jerusalem.”

Asked if the President will pressure Netanyahu to freeze settlement activity, Tillerson said: “You know, settlements are part of the overall peace discussion. It’s just there are a number of elements that have presented challenges to the peace process in the past, settlements is clearly one of those.”

Dan Senor on CBS This Morning: “I think the president wants to send a message to Israel: ‘We have your back. You’re not alone.’ And if he can get Israel to lock arms with the United States, and make them feel that the bond is unbreakable – ‘We have your back and you can trust us,’ Israel will be more comfortable making concessions, taking some risks for peace.” [CBSNews]

WHAT TRUMP BRINGS TO THE TABLE: “Can Donald Trump solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?” by Oren Liebermann, James Masters and Ian Lee: “If Trump offers to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights or release Jonathan Pollard, an American convicted of spying for Israel, from the terms of his probation, it would be a political win for Netanyahu, and it would give the Israeli Prime Minister maneuvering room within Israeli politics. Trump could also offer to increase US military aid to Israel from its record level of nearly $4 billion a year. As a last option, Trump can move the embassy to Jerusalem, but such a move would require large concessions to the Palestinians to avoid regional turmoil.” [CNN]

THE PLAYERS — Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — by Amir Tibon: “On Sunday night, as President Donald Trump was concluding a successful two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, the White House distributed a very rare press release: a statement attributed directly, “on the record”, to Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner… The statement was a testament to Kushner’s central role in organizing Trump’s foreign trip… Kushner’s positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain a mystery… The visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority could be the perfect opportunity for Kushner to take the stage and increase his involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian file.” [Haaretz]  

“Can Jason Greenblatt deliver peace for Donald Trump?” by Annie Karni: “Greenblatt, in large part, agrees with Trump, according to interviews with White House officials. He sees the experts trying to persuade him that peace is out of reach as having an outdated view of the region. He has described the current moment as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to broker peace, echoing Trump’s own words – in part because of his deep belief in Trump’s powers of negotiation, in part because of the shared threat of Iran to both the Israelis and the Palestinians. His success in Trump’s orbit has also made some skeptical of his ability to contradict the boss. “His job isn’t to listen to everyone and then come back to Trump and say here is what is possible and here is what is not,” said one outside adviser who has spoken extensively with Greenblatt. “Trump has said getting a deal is easier than it looks, and we’re going to do it. My impression is it’s not really possible to go back to him and say, ‘it can’t be done, not now.’”” [Politico]

–Greenblatt‏ tweeted: “Thanks to @USAinKSA and Ryan Cooper for all of their help during my stay in Riyadh and for getting me kosher food here #Frozenmealscanbegood.” [Twitter] • Pic of his Friday night meal [Twitter]

VIEW FROM JERUSALEM: “Behind triumphant Trump visit to Israel, a few old tensions return” by  Anne Gearan and Ruth Eglash: “Privately, Netanyahu has groused that Trump’s personal stake in what the president has called “the deal of the century” puts the Israeli leader in a difficult spot, former U.S. officials and others said. The Trump administration is also poised to disappoint some in Israel and among his own supporters in the United States by reneging on a campaign pledge to quickly move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the capital, Jerusalem… Opposition leader Isaac Herzog said disappointment with Trump is largely limited to members of Israel’s “deep-right wing that were sure that President Trump would be working for them.”” [WashPost]

“Preparations for Trump’s Visit Expose Political Rifts in Israel” by Isabel Kershner: “Some in the Israeli news media have already described the visit as “hysterical,” rather than “historical.” And squabbling within Mr. Netanyahu’s governing coalition has marred much of the festivity surrounding Mr. Trump’s visit: Right-wing politicians are disappointed that the Trump administration appears to be adhering to longstanding American policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and they are agitating for Mr. Netanyahu to take a tougher stance.” [NYTimes] 

Among those disappointed with Trump: Naftali Bennett — by John Reed: “Throughout the past year, Donald Trump said some very positive statements, such as that ‘We will move the embassy’,” Naftali Bennett, Israel’s education minister and head of the far-right, pro-settler Jewish Home party… told the Financial Times. “He was very positive about Jewish communities, about Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria,” Mr Bennett added, referring to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. “Over the past few months there is a sense that something may have changed, and the source of the change is unclear.” [FT; INN]

Oded Revivi, Chief Foreign Envoy of the Yesha Council who attended Trump’s inauguration, tells us… “We welcome President Trump to Israel and bless his trip with success. However, if he is going to try the same flawed policies that have failed for decades, he too will fail. The road to peace will begin in the towns and cities of Judea and Samaria and we pray that he will accept our invitation to come and see real peace and coexistence in action.”

“Israelis worry Trump’s changing stands look more and more like Obama’s” by Franco Ordonez: “He’s like any politician,” said Shlamit Lev-ran, 24, an art student at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “They say one thing and then after they’re elected they do another. I see no difference.” “Trump and Obama, they want the same thing,” said Elie Adler, a 60-year-old shopkeeper in downtown Jerusalem. “They just serve it up in a different dish.” [McClatchyDC]

ON THE HILL — Senator Cory Booker  (D-NJ) spoke with JI’s Aaron Magid ahead of Trump’s Israel trip: “I think it’s good for the President of the United States to be going to Israel. I think it’s very important. We need to continue to deepen our ties and cooperation. Everything from our intelligence sharing to economic cooperation.”

JI: What about the two state solution?

Booker: “For me, it’s got to be a priority. I can tell you a lot of things that I hope the President discusses with the leadership of the country — I’m not just talking about Netanyahu but also the Palestinian leadership — that can help encourage the right things to happen. I think that it is very important that he (Trump) play a role in supporting an ultimate two state solution.”

TOP TALKER — Ivanka’s rabbi said to deny permitting Shabbat travel: “Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, who heads Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is said to have told Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog that speculation he granted the couple the rabbinical dispensation was “fake news.” The Yedioth Ahronoth daily quoted Lookstein telling Herzog he has not been in touch with Ivanka for “several weeks,” and that the information was false.” [ToI]

“Does Flying On A Plane On Shabbos Make You Not Orthodox?” by Allison Josephs: “To clarify some of the halachic and historical reasons why many rabbis were defending Jared and Ivanka, we asked Rabbi Professor Jeffrey Woolf who teaches in the Talmud Department at Bar Ilan University… “One of these rare exceptions is for a person who fills a key, even unique, position in a Gentile government. Such an individual is described as being Karov l’Malchus (Literally, ‘close to the King or Kingdom’)… Since their unique status required them to make themselves available to the ruler, they were allowed to violate various rabbinic prohibitions… It is crucial to realize that their actions can be understood and justified within the parameters of the unique status of Karov l’Malchus, a position that they certainly hold.” [JewInTheCity] 

SAUDI VISIT: “In Saudi Arabia, Trump Reaches Out to Sunni Nations, at Iran’s Expense” by Ben Hubbard and Thomas Erdbrink: “In his speech on Sunday, Mr. Trump… spoke of a stronger alliance with mostly Sunni Muslim nations to fight terrorism and extremist ideology and to push back against Iran. “From Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region,” Mr. Trump told dozens of Muslim heads of state. “It is a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this very room.” That pointed to a departure from the policies of Mr. Obama, who pushed Persian Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia to move toward greater self-sufficiency in defense while pressing for the agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear program.” [NYTimes]

“Trump’s Visit Cements Saudi Support, Avoids Thorny Regional Issues” by William Mauldin: “This is someone who is making it clear that we’re making common cause with those who are prepared to take on ISIS and the Iranians,” said Dennis Ross, a former U.S. envoy in the region and senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy… “He got in and out of the speech conundrum fairly well,” Aaron David Miller said. “He made a few of the right points, missed many of the bad ones, dodged the bullet on formulations of ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ that could be seen as terribly offending.” [WSJ] 

HEARD YESTERDAY — Elliott Abrams on CNN: “The idea that you can call him, you know, bigoted against Islam, I think, takes a big hit today. His first foreign trip he goes to Riyadh. You have all of these visuals of him meeting with Muslim leaders, not only from that region but from around the world, so I think he comes out looking better, not only as presidential, but as reaching out to Muslim leaders from around the world. I think he has helped himself a lot in pushing back against the idea that the origin of his position is some kind of prejudice.” [MediaMatters] 

“Trump’s Politically Correct Speech in Saudi Arabia” by Peter Beinart: “Trump criticized terrorist groups like ISIS for their “persecution of Jews,” and he condemned Iran for pledging “the destruction of Israel.” But since ISIS and Iran are Riyadh’s most bitter foes, those condemnations won’t have bothered the Saudi monarchs at all. Unlike Obama, Trump avoided the broader problem of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in Islamic countries, a problem in which his Saudi hosts are deeply complicit. Nor did he even hint at the fact that Saudi Arabia still does not recognize Israel.” [TheAtlantic] 

“Saudi King Confident Trump Can Solve Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Foreign Minister Says” by Daniel Marans: “The king “expressed the kingdom’s optimism that President Trump, with a new approach and determination, can bring a conclusion to this long conflict,” Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al] Jubeir said, referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “He certainly has the vision and we believe the strength and the decisiveness,” Jubeir continued. “And the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stands prepared to work with the United States in order to bring about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and Israelis and Arabs.”” [HuffPost] 

“High Fives in Riyadh as Trump Leaves Woes Behind for Deals” by Margaret Talev and Jennifer Jacobs: “At one point, senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner was seen high-fiving National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.” [Bloomberg] 

“Saudis pledge $20 billion to U.S.-focused infrastructure fund” by Dan Primack: “Saudi Arabia on Saturday made a tentative commitment of $20 billion to a new infrastructure investment fund that would be managed by The Blackstone Group, the private equity and real estate giant led by Trump economic advisor Steve Schwarzman.” [Axios] 

DRIVING THE CONVERSATION — “Israeli minister expresses concern over U.S.-Saudi arms deal” by Ori Lewis: “Israel gave a muted response on Sunday… “This is a matter that really should trouble us,” said Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz prior to the weekly cabinet meeting, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no mention of the deal in his customary public remarks… “We have also to make sure that those hundreds of billions of dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia will not, by any means, erode Israel’s qualitative edge, because Saudi Arabia is still a hostile country without any diplomatic relations and nobody knows what the future will be.” [Reuters] 

–When asked about Steinitz’s comments, Sec. Tillerson responded during a gaggle on AF1: “There has been nothing entered into with the arms sales agreements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or any of the other countries that do not fully allow us to fulfill our commitments to Israel and the longstanding security arrangements we have with Israel. I’m sure we can answer those questions and address the concerns they have.”

Asked if the president plans to apologize for sharing Israeli intel with the Russians, Tillerson said, “I don’t know that there’s anything to apologize for. To the extent the Israelis have any questions, or clarification, I’m sure we’re happy to provide that.”

“Why Israel Thinks Trump Is Focusing on the Wrong Enemy in Syria” by David Wainer: “Islamic State “is being decimated,” said Avi Dichter, chairman of the Israeli parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, and a former head of the Shin Bet internal security agency. “They no longer have that many men on the ground. Iran, on the other hand, is a major regional threat.” If that threat is present in Syria and directed at Israel, he said, “that’s a casus belli.” … Now Israel is pinning its hopes on Trump.” [Bloomberg] • Israeli Officers to Trump: You’re Doing ISIS Wrong [Politico]

“How Trump could deal a blow to Iran — and help save Syria” by Josh Rogin: “Those who support the Syrian opposition in Washington are also noticing a shift in the U.S. approach toward confronting Iran in Syria. Whether that represents mission creep or a deliberate change in approach on a policy level is unclear — and ultimately irrelevant. Perhaps by accident, Trump is moving toward a Syria policy that is tougher on Iran and the Assad regime, and it’s having real effects on the ground.” [WashPost]

PROFILE: “James Mattis, a Warrior in Washington” by Dexter Filkins: “Late in 2011, the Obama White House was worried about Iran’s nuclear-weapons program and concerned that the Israeli military might launch a preëmptive strike. At a briefing for American diplomats in Qatar, Mattis was asked to discuss the possibility of a confrontation in the waters of the Persian Gulf. According to a senior American diplomat who attended the briefing, Mattis declared that, if the Iranians attacked American forces, he was authorized to defend them—and that he expected retaliation. “Mattis was basically saying, ‘I’m ready. If I respond, Iran will respond in an escalatory fashion—and I will be rocking and rolling,’ ” the diplomat told me. “It wasn’t what they wanted to hear. It scared them. Mattis was not reckless—he was the straightest guy in the room. He’s just way more honest than most people would be in a situation like that.”” [NewYorker]

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