Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said that Israel's security is paramount in the Trump administration's "Deal of the Century," in an interview Yisrael Hayom published on Thursday. Haley, who resigned at the start of the year, was seen as a defender of Israel during her tenure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sang her praises after she resigned, writing in a letter that she took on the "task of combating the pathological vilification of Israel at the UN."The former ambassador has already read the American peace deal and told Yisrael Hayom that she believes both sides were taken into consideration.
When asked in the interview if Israelis should be worried about a quid pro quo situation after the US recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Haley answered, "Israel should not be worried. Because through the Middle East plan, one of the main goals that [Senior Adviser to the President] Jared Kushner and [US Special Representative for International Negotiations] Jason Greenblatt focused on was to not hurt the national security interests of Israel.""I think everybody needs to go into it with an open mind, everybody should want a peace plan. Everybody should want to make way for a better situation in Israel and I think it can happen."Haley expressed her disappointment with the Arab countries who decided not to attend the conference in Bahrain, where President Donald Trump will release the economic part of the deal. "It shows the Arab community’s true colors, that they [the Arab states] don’t really care about the Palestinians, because if the Palestinians were that much of a priority, everybody would be holding Abbas’ hand and leading him to the table. Everybody and Abbas himself would want better,” Haley said in the report.Some Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco have announced that they plan to attend the conference. The Palestinians have vehemently opposed the conference and called for a boycott. So far countries like Iraq and Lebanon have backed the Palestinians and will not attend. However, she also reiterated that she believes both side will neither love nor hate the plan. Haley, who worked as the ambassador to UN for two years was also asked her opinion of the international organization. "I think the question is, does the UN want to be an important institution. Right now it is very wasteful and very bureaucratic, it can be strongly anti-US and clearly anti-Israel."Haley told Yisrael Hayom. "The UN's continued existence is at stake, and if it does not adapt itself to the present era, the UN will not be relevant."