Trump Scraps Planned Trip To Israel; Says He'll Reschedule 'After I Become President'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Republican Donald Trump scrapped a planned trip to Israel, saying he will reschedule "at a later date after I become President of the U.S.''
Trump tweeted Thursday that he is postponing the trip, which had become problematic for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Dozens of Israeli lawmakers had called for Netanyahu to cancel the Dec. 28 meeting with Trump.
The prime minister, wary of being seen as endorsing Trump's positions despite his own Republican leanings, had given only guarded remarks, saying he would honor a previously scheduled meeting but at the same time rejecting Trump's calls to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.
Trump told Fox News there were many reasons he decided to hold off on a trip, among them that he didn't want to put Netanyahu in a bind.
"In fact, I did a campaign ad for him, and he's a good man, but I didn't want to put him under pressure,'' Trump said. "You know, he said, 'We have a meeting,' and he looks forward to the meeting and all of that. But I didn't want to put him under pressure, No. 1. I also did it because I'm in the midst of a very powerful campaign that's going very well and it was not that easy to do. So I would say lots of different reasons.''
Trump has had the GOP in turmoil over his call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. in the wake of last week's mass shooting by an Islamic militant couple that killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California. Critics say the proposal is racist and unconstitutional.
Trump, who has maintained a wide lead in most early polling, also sparked criticism among many American Jews last week after speaking to a gathering of Jewish donors.
He was booed after refusing to endorse Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel -- a key Israeli position. The United States, like most of the international community, refuses to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and says the city's status must be resolved in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Trump also made remarks that some said promoted Jewish stereotypes. "I know why you're not going to support me: you're not going to support me because I don't want your money,'' Trump said. "You want to control your own politician.''
He also said, "I'm a negotiator, like you folks.''
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been in a war of words with Trump, said Trump's comments were based on "hateful stereotypes of the Jewish community."
"As with other shameful outbursts he has had about many ethnic groups, they are nothing short of dangerous," he said.
On Wednesday, community and religious leaders rallied on the steps of City Hall to denounce what they called Trump's racist and anti-immigrant comments.
Netanyahu's office declined comment on the cancellation.
Marc Zell, the co-chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, said that there had been no pressure from the organization, which represents Republican expatriates living in Israel, for Trump not to come.
But Zell, stressing that he was expressing his personal opinion, said it was all for the best that Trump had canceled.
"He's welcome to visit Israel, but I think it's better that he didn't come because his visit here would have been marred by a loud dissenting voice coming from all sectors of the population, including me,'' Zell said.
He said Trump's comments on Muslims and Jews were in "poor taste'' and showed that the real estate mogul and reality TV star does not have what it takes to be president.
Palestinian officials welcomed news of the cancellation.
Ahmad Majdalani, an aide to President Mahmoud Abbas, said Trump's visit meant "nothing to us.''
"We know he was coming to Israel to get Jewish lobby's support. We were happy that we weren't on his visit agenda because he would add nothing to us, particularly after his statements against Muslims,'' he said.
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