Jerusalem, in general, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) personnel, in particular, sighed in relief after Air Force One took off from Ben Gurion Airport on May 23. According to a protocol department official, the organizational aspects of US President Donald Trump’s visit were a nightmare. The MFA was informed only minutes before landing that the president was ready to shake the hands of Israeli Cabinet ministers. Other last-minute changes were communicated by the Americans almost every hour. But protocol apart, Trump left behind an Israeli Foreign Ministry concerned first and foremost over issues of content. This sentiment of concern was shared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, although he kept a smiling poker face until the very end of the visit.

According to a senior Israeli MFA official who took part in some of the meetings, the statements Trump and his close entourage made in private were less encouraging than the president’s public statements.

According to the official, in his talks with Netanyahu, Trump reiterated his administration’s staunch support of Israel’s security and its technological military edge. When talking about the Palestinian issue, he did not go beyond what he said to Netanyahu in the Feb. 15 Oval Office meeting, and he did not mention a two-state solution. Trump was very forthcoming on the issue of curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and also on acting against Iran’s terror network in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon (Hezbollah). He included Hamas in this context.

The official explained that on the flip side, Trump left the MFA concerned about several issues. A main reason for concern, for both the political and the security establishments, was the unprecedented $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.