Barkat launches pro-Trump campaign 

Jerusalem, 19 January, 2017 (TPS) -- Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat launched a campaign Thursday to promote public support for incoming US President Donald Trump and his campaign promise to relocate the American embassy to Jerusalem, thus recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Barkat is the latest in a string of Israeli politicians to express high hopes for the new administration after eight years of frequent clashes between current President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told TPS that Trump’s presidency would mean a “new set of rules” for the Middle East, a sentiment echoed by Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and others.

The new campaign also coincides with the departure of a rash of settlement leaders to Washington to attend the Trump inaugural. Oded Revivi, foreign envoy for the Yesha Council and mayor of Efrat, Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Ma’aleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel and MK Yehuda Glick, a resident of the town of Otniel, south of Hebron and a vocal advocate for Jewish prayer rights at the Temple Mount, have all received invitations from the incoming administration to attend the ceremonies.

Barkat said the aim of the campaign is to counter public pressure on the incoming administration to put its plans to transfer the embassy on hold. The heart of the campaign is an online petition thanking Trump for his robust support of Israel, and his undertaking to transfer the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

He called on Israelis to sign the petition, saying it is important for the Israeli public to express its appreciation of Trump’s support and for his commitment to move the embassy to the capital.

The campaign is primarily aimed at the Israeli public, and only Israelis are requested to sign the petition. The campaign will however also reach out to the Evangelical community, and other major pro-Israel groups in the US.

The campaign is intended to counter the PA’s diplomatic blitz to get the international community to pressure Trump to postpone implementing his commitment to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.