You're watching...
Boston Properties CEO Mort Zuckerman on relations between the U.S. and Israel and efforts to find a compromise over Israeli borders in negotiations wi...
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Not so Mort Zuckerman and it says it's all pretty clear and our official US policy now.
Won't throw Israel under the bus would -- much.
More cash.
None of this whole approach.
No I think -- look every Israeli prime ministers since it's tougher dean has said that these borders that he is referring to are.
The 1967.
Borders which is really another way of putting the 1949 armistice lines.
Are neither secure nor recognized nor defensible.
And nominee have -- every president fetid Lyndon Johnson Ronald Reagan George Bush Bill Clinton you name them okay they've all said that.
And they all recognize there will have to be some.
Negotiations on exactly how much of the rest of the West Bank.
And up in Israeli hands because now they put there must be 600 thousands quote unquote settlers living in those -- Was -- something with the president so that all of those processes and as you mentioned.
Recognize the need that some land has to be eventually carved out presumably from Israeli and.
Palestinian -- -- -- I don't think that none of none of the people I've mentioned have any objection to that nor do want.
I think of a significant portion you know it's inevitable that there have some sort of Israel and lands and that's right on the -- that people do not understand if you were to stand up in the 1949.
-- okay you could look back you could look at the Mediterranean it's nine miles away from one into the country to the other.
Our young radical with a 'cause some rocket can go ahead and literally destroy the Ben Gurion airport or -- and televisa.
So you've got to have some good things in defense to provide.
But you must understand what that some of that distance tests to be given out yes without question -- that -- some what's the middle ground well that's exactly what have to be negotiated between the Israelis and the Palestinians a problem of what the president did.
With the take away the major negotiating card.
Which -- Israeli tap which is where the borders are because there are a lot of other issues such as the so called right of return for example the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state eccentric character.
That has to be thrown into the -- they have they'll also negotiate whatever they're gonna do with Jerusalem.
But -- he has -- very -- tonight when I mean he's got to walk that fine line.
Between being tough on that position and recognize -- I guess is the same country we get three billion dollars a year from.
Yes without question the United States is the principal ally of the united of Israel.
They have always been at Israel's back I think what is now affecting the whole Israeli fosters -- sense that this administration is not and he Israel's back whatever the word you really -- and he talked myself.
When that when the president said yes and it's not the case and he was warmly greeted.
And applauded by the prominent Jewish Americans and others who was there.
-- -- -- No it's not all faith without question is not -- think it's not to say that.
He had -- is -- just abandon Israel but there are certain key national security issues that Israel has to deal with that we simply.
He when living in that and all that the great expansion of this country can't quite appreciate.
Everything is in very very small ranges in the Middle East and particularly.
Vis a vis Israel and the West Bank remember that was the source of hundreds of attacks on Israel the you know they had all these terrorists coming into Israel.
Hundreds of Israelis died so -- have to find some way to deal with that security particularly -- the whole.
Range of weaponry has changed mortars and rockets we saw what's happened in Gaza where rockets and mortars were coming -- and.
And I wouldn't -- trying to set that's exactly what so I guess it is a general question about.
Jewish Americans here but why do today after all of this conservative on -- -- Israeli press.
Why did -- so apparently.
Like to present a great deal.
Well do you know he has they that these in this community still -- American community they happen to be Jewish but they hurt American community they have other interest that.
Then just.
-- support for Israel which a lot of the -- to the president can count on markets -- just don't know why that I don't think he he can do I think this is gonna be perceived as.
The least supportive administration.
Of Israel since the founding of Israel really aren't and I president -- -- -- at 80% of the Jewish vote yes you did.
If you had to handicap to what it could be I don't know it's really too early to tell and who knows who is opponent will be.
You know I think that -- a vote though that is gonna be up in the air and a lot of people are gonna be able to say.
There's a better chance that a lot of them will vote for a very good alternative candidate as a centrist and who is more support of Israel it's an important issue for the Jewish community here because.
Everybody has a memory of what it was like before it through existed.
But I wonder if they do -- I mean you know this far better than -- but it seems like the gap between American Jews and and and Israelis themselves.
Has never been wider there their perception of the survival of the state or whether the administration's on board.
Has never been wider.
No I think on this issue of the support for.
What are called the secure and recognized.
Boundaries for the State of Israel I think.
A huge portion of the Israeli support the prime minister on this and a huge portion of Americans support the prime minister on this.
When it comes to voting for who is going to be president.
That's a whole other issue and a whole other series -- -- domestic concerns dominate Internet or at least are much more important in that calculation.
And they said I'm not saying this isn't going to be important.
But there are a lot of other issues that Americans will vote on other than a particular foreign policy positions.
On this is the perceptions on this Jimmy Carter's policy adjustments.
The present administration stand.
I don't know where the policy stemmed from to be -- we -- apparently was attacked apparently.
Well -- if you mean on this last thing I think came up in the last 24 hours maybe 36 hours.
And in fact the Israelis had been informed about what -- the speech before they were told there's nothing to worry about a 124 hours before the speech was given.
They were you -- you know consigned to the thing that's what caused some of the intensity of the reaction to -- You know you're also great business which is why have you here and wondered from a business side of things if if our relations -- our and it's toppled police -- armed.
We talk about clear obvious disruptions like riots in Egypt Syria -- -- But I think this would be formed more sinister rate Communist this -- former pervasive when it now.
Well I think it would affect a lot of things I mean if the United States has long been the great supporter and ally of Israel and now they're walking away.
It will say something about the reliability of American support for other things around the world without question.
So I I I don't know what it will mean you know because I just hope it never comes about.
And I hope that all these differences Kennedy's seen -- -- that it is time well I mean.
Nobody anticipated that this would be what the president said because this goes against all American policy that has -- extent.
For the last decade for decades is 44 years.
And this -- -- the American policy that they will not in a sense insists on a particular boundary has the bases from which negotiations start one of the real problems that I have with that.
Is it takes away the major negotiating card.
From the Israelis because the -- into this year well we already have that there's nothing else to -- -- to fight for what how else are they gonna negotiated settlement is gonna make a settlement much more difficult.
And what if he had his sentencing -- My view my recommendation would be don't say anything left the party to get together and work it out and worked behind the -- that's the only way -- -- going to be able to do it.
Remember the Oslo agreements which with the most effective negotiator took place between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Nobody knew it was taking place there were no press conferences there were no big dinners there were no interviews given to the newspaper when they finally have the deal.
Then you had something to talk about it's only in private that these negotiations can be constructive.
Interest.
-- -- -- -- -- -- I -- is due to speak.
