Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says U.S. President Trump's son-in-law and senior strategic adviser Jared Kushner has gifted him an official State Department map, updated to incorporate the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem on Thursday, Netanyahu addressed a nation rattled by the prospect of an unprecedented second election campaign after the newly re-elected Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition.
In a bid to play down the political chaos and focus public attention on his foreign policy prowess – in particular, his close friendship with Trump – Netanyahu whipped out Kushner's map, on which President Trump had scribbled, "Nice." Trump also signed the map.
Israel captured the parts of the Golan Heights in 1967 during the Six-Day War.
The White House upended decades of policy when it recognized Israeli sovereignty over the area several months ago, citing its vital importance to Israel's security.
During his speech Netanyahu attacked Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman for sabotaging the coalition talks Netanyahu had held over the past 42 days, which resulted in the Knesset dissolving itself and calling a new election.
Netanyahu pushed for the dissolution after realizing that Lieberman was not going to compromise in his demands for entering Netanyahu's fifth government, thus denying the prime minister with a governing coalition in the Knesset.
Had Netanyahu not moved to dissolve the Knesset, President Reuven Rivlin would have likely assigned another MK with the task of forming a new government.
Netanyahu said that Lieberman's demands, including his request to pass legislation that would impose mandatory quotas on the conscription of haredim to the Israel Defense Forces, would have been addressed had he negotiated in good faith.
"He is a serial saboteur of right-wing governments," Netanyahu said on Lieberman. Netanyahu said Lieberman's real goal was to deny Netanyahu a government.
