Trump Family Business Eyes Hotel Deals in Israel
The New York Times
The Trump Organization was in talks about Israeli hotels before the Hamas attack last year. It says it wants to resume them in the future, raising questions about the mingling of politics and money in the event of a second Trump term.
In the heart of Jerusalem, a short walk from the Israeli Supreme Court and prime minister’s office, Donald J. Trump’s family business spotted a moneymaking opportunity.
The Trump Organization pursued a deal last year to open a luxury hotel on a former site of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to people involved in the previously unreported talks, as well as documents reviewed by The New York Times.
The property’s proximity to the nexus of governmental power evoked Mr. Trump’s erstwhile hotel near the White House, abuzz with dignitaries and supporters during his presidency.
Mr. Trump’s company also considered turning a rising skyscraper in Tel Aviv into another Trump-branded hotel, the documents show. That tower, which will twist with glass and steel, is near the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces and will have the most hotel rooms in the country when construction is completed.
Eric Trump, who runs the family business, embarked on the negotiations well after his father kicked off his latest presidential bid in November 2022, the interviews and documents show. And while he has not finalized either prospective deal — talks have not resumed since Hamas’s attack on Israel a year ago — the Trump Organization continues to express interest in opening an Israeli hotel.
The company’s efforts in Israel highlight longstanding ethical concerns about the mingling of the former president’s financial and political fortunes — this time in a warring country at the contentious center of U.S. and global politics.
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