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Who is Steve Witkoff, Trump's golfmate part of Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks?
‘We have people that know everything about the Middle East, but they can’t speak properly. He is a great negotiator,’ Trump said on Witkoff's appointment.
Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, joined the Biden administration's efforts and played a crucial role in pushing Israel to accept a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
During Donald Trump's inauguration parade to mark the return of Israeli hostages on Monday, Witkoff introduced the relatives, some of whom are seeking the return of remains of their loved ones who were killed while held captive. He also kicked off the speech following the parade, which also honoured a supporter who died during an assassination attempt against Trump.
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Trump welcomed home people released by the Palestinian militant group Hamas as part of its ceasefire deal with Israel. The Republican also boasted about how the Israel-Hamas war wouldn’t have started had he been the President instead of Biden.
Who is Steve Witkoff?
Steve Witkoff set off to Doha after his appointment to set the ball rolling toward a ceasefire and hostage deal.
As a former real estate developer and investor, Witkoff was crucial in delivering Trump's message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the new President wanted the deal to be signed before he took office, Al Jazeera reported.
As negotiators were closer to reaching the deal, Witkoff contacted Netanyahu last Saturday. The envoy was reportedly told that the prime minister could not be disturbed on Shabbat, a Jewish rest day.
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Witkoff expressed severe disapproval of Netanyahu's approach, and himself, being a Jew, said he “did not care” what day it was, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
“I think they heard him loud and clear: better get done by the inaugural. He gives us a lot of authority,” Witkoff later said.
“We have people that know everything about the Middle East, but they can’t speak properly. He is a great negotiator,” Trump said on Witkoff's appointment, seeming to defend against criticism that the new envoy has no foreign policy expericence.
Witkoff is also Trump's golf mate and often joins the President during his games. As a four-decade-old friend, Witkoff was with the president during an assassination attempt against him on his Florida golf course last year.
(With AP inputs)
