The American envoy shaking up relations with Israel: Who are you, Tom Barrack?
It is doubtful that there is anyone in the American administration who holds more titles than Tom Barrack: US Ambassador to Turkey, Special Envoy to Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. However, Barrack's most important title is not official — he is a close friend of President Donald Trump.
It is doubtful that there is anyone in the American administration who holds more titles than Tom Barrack: US Ambassador to Turkey, Special Envoy to Syria, Special Envoy to Lebanon, and Special Envoy to Iraq. However, Barrack's most important title is not official — he is a close friend of President Donald Trump.
The roots of this friendship should be sought in the Manhattan of the eighties, when the paths of two young real estate developers crossed. What began with joint deals — in some of which, by the way, Donald Trump actually lost money — turned into a close personal friendship that included deep conversations late into the night. Barrack, who comes from a family of Lebanese descent, has other good friends, among them Turkish President Erdogan and Syrian President Al-Shara.
With the long list of titles that Donald Trump gave him, and with direct access to the president's personal phone at any hour of the day, Barrack has effectively opened his own "foreign ministry" within the administration. This office largely concentrates the handling of the Middle East, much to the displeasure of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Beneath the surface, a passionate power struggle is taking place between the two, and it seems that in every such clash, Barrack positions himself in a hostile stance toward Israel, while Marco Rubio stands in our corner.
For example, when the Syrian army captured the Kurdish areas in the east of the country at the beginning of the year, Barrack announced in a tweet that the men of Al-Shara — a former senior ISIS official — would take responsibility for the prisons in the area where thousands of terrorists from the Islamist terrorist organization were imprisoned. This announcement caused horror in Israel, but within a day an "invisible hand" intervened, likely that of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the administration announced that the terrorists would be transferred to prisons in Iraq.
Barrack is also known for his difficult personality, which in some cases almost caused diplomatic incidents. This was the case when, at a press conference in Beirut, he insulted Lebanese journalists and compared their behavior to that of animals. In addition, at the end of last year, when he was a guest at the Doha Forum of the Qatari government — a country where he previously did extensive business — Barrack said things that caused great outrage in Jerusalem, from which it could be understood that in his opinion, Israel is not a democracy.
From Israel's perspective, Tom Barrack is a given. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tries not to confront him publicly, but behind the scenes, he maneuvers in the corridors of power of the administration to try to moderate his influence. The condemnation that Barrack published regarding the Israeli strike in Turkey, even before Israel took responsibility for the action, did not surprise anyone in Jerusalem.
Within the most sympathetic administration in history, Barrack is a constant reminder of the unique complexity of Donald Trump's inner circle — a president who sometimes prefers to conduct policy with the help of friends and relatives, rather than diplomats and regular advisors.
