Could Trump Be the Dealmaker the Middle East Needs? | The Ezra Klein Show

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 2:47: Israel, Palestinian, American political gravity, Jared Kushner

Notable quotes from "Could Trump Be the Dealmaker the Middle East Needs? | The Ezra Klein Show"

• Before him. He doesn't care that much about either the Israelis or the Palestinians. He would like a Nobel Peace Prize. If anything, he is not unwilling to use his power…

  about Palestinian · at 0:28

• Of Arabs welcomed his coming into office a second time knowing as they well knew his bias towards Israel and everything he had done in his first term. And I think to add to…

  about Israel · at 1:28

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Jared Kushner — Person · 1 mention · first at 1:50
  To criticize him if he puts pressure on Israel or if he talks to Hamas. He sent Steve Woodoff and Jared Kushner to talk to them. He claimed that he spoke to them, which I…

Books & papers

• the book the two of you wrote — Book · 1 mention · first at 0:00
  The book the two of you wrote is scathingly critical of the way US presidents have approached deals, frameworks, negotiations before now and one place where you end your.

Companies & orgs

• Democratic Party — Company · 1 mention
• Hamas — Company · 1 mention

Concepts & topics

• Palestinian — Concept · 2 mentions · first at 0:33
• Technocratic rationality — Concept · 1 mention · first at 0:18
  Analysis by saying there has been an overreiance on technocratic rationality and in this way Trump seems to fit the kind of figure you are talking about better than the people who have come before him. He doesn't care that much.
• Nobel Peace Prize — Concept · 1 mention · first at 0:33
  Before him. He doesn't care that much about either the Israelis or the Palestinians. He would like a Nobel Peace Prize. If anything, he is not unwilling to use his power…
• American political gravity — Concept · 1 mention · first at 1:43
  Of attributes, if that's the word, of President Trump, he's also is immune to the laws of American political gravity.
• Middle East peace negotiations — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

• Israel — Place · 2 mentions · first at 1:33
• United States (states) — Place · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 The book the two of you wrote is scathingly critical of the way US presidents have approached deals, frameworks, negotiations before now and and and one place where you end your analysis by saying there has been an overreiance on technocratic rationality and in this way Trump seems to fit the kind of figure you are talking about better than the people who have come before him. He doesn't care that much about either the Israelis or the Palestinians. He would like a Nobel Peace Prize. If anything, he is not unwilling to use his power against either side. He is himself unpredictable. He is himself somewhat irrational. He is himself driven by emotion and intuition and willing to use leverage when he needs it.

0:51 Yes, his attention span is certainly an issue here, but you could, I think, read your book and then look at that it was Trump who got this deal, not Joe Biden, and say maybe Trump is the kind of figure you need to make progress. Yeah, I think what you said is absolutely right and captures what we what we what we say in the book and in some sense and we even say it, you know, President Trump after years of faux outrage from Democratic presidents in particular sort of some genuine cynicism was a breath breath of fresh air, which is why a lot of Arabs welcomed his his coming into office a second time knowing as they well knew his bias towards Israel and everything he had done in his first term. And I think to add to your list of of attributes, if that's the word, of President Trump, he's also is immune to the laws of American political gravity.

1:45 I mean, we we've seen it. He who's going to criticize him if he if he puts pressure on Israel or if he talks to Hamas. He sent Steve Woodoff and Jared Kushner to talk to them. He claimed that he spoke to them, which I doubt, but in any event, he could very well do it. Um because who's going to criticize him? Not the Republican party because they are locked step behind him. and Democrats criticizing him from that he's being too tough on Israel or too soft on the Palestinians that wouldn't fly either. So, he really has the ability to do things that others wouldn't. He's a politician of intuition. Now, having said all that, you know, I wish that all those unconventional, unorthodox attributes were married to something more than narcissism and ego. And I think that's where we may run into a much bigger problem because, you know, with President Trump, who knows what tomorrow will bring. But this the kind

2:34 of the break he represents from the past is something that was needed. I'm not sure that he's the break I would have chosen if if I'd had my brothers.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Could Trump Be the Dealmaker the Middle East Needs? | The Ezra Klein Show"?

In order: 0:00 Israel, Palestinian, American political gravity, Jared Kushner.

What is mentioned in this The Ezra Klein Show episode?

11 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Palestinian, Israel, the book the two of you wrote, Technocratic rationality, Nobel Peace Prize, American political gravity. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Could Trump Be the Dealmaker the Middle East Needs? | The Ezra Klein Show"?

The episode runs 3 min; the transcript is about 487 words in 4 timestamped sections.

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