'No going back': World Jewish Congress chief Ronald Lauder abandons Netanyahu's Israel

Ronald Lauder, the American billionaire who heads the World Jewish Congress and was once a close confidant of Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused the Israeli prime minister of sacrificing opportunities for peace to protect his political career. In an interview with Haaretz published last week, ahead of the Israeli elections, the longstanding supporter of Israel described his disillusionment with Netanyahu, claiming he abandoned a negotiated peace agreement with Syria and Lebanon in the late 1990s despite having approved its terms. The former ambassador also accused Netanyahu of undermining democracy and empowering far-right ministers whose policies are damaging Israel’s relationships with Arab neighbours, western governments and Jewish communities abroad. “He chose politics over peace. He put his political future before the deal,” Lauder said of the negotiations with Syria. “That’s where he lost me. I saw him afterward, but it was never the same. He betrayed me.” The comments come from a figure who helped Netanyahu build influential connections in the US and spent decades supporting Israeli institutions and Jewish organisations worldwide. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Lauder, who lives in the US, said he had disposed of his remaining Israeli properties, selling his Tel Aviv apartment and donating his home in Beersheba to the Jewish National Fund. “I have no intention of going back to Israel. Zero,” he said. Despite that estrangement, Lauder insisted he remained committed to the country. “I am still a Zionist today, I still love Israel, I will do everything I can to help it succeed,” he said. “I say this is out of love, out of love and care.” Now, Israel faces political deadlock following Tuesday’s election, and Netanyahu’s political future remains uncertain. By Thursday morning, with roughly 91 percent of votes counted, his bloc was projected to win 53 seats, against 48 for Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot’s camp and 19 for parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel, leaving neither main bloc with the 61 seats needed for a majority. Netanyahu could retain power by securing opposition defections or negotiating a unity government, potentially excluding his far-right allies. If coalition talks fail, another election could follow, allowing him to remain caretaker prime minister in the meantime. Secret Syria negotiations In the lengthy Haaretz interview, Lauder highlighted his role as Netanyahu’s intermediary in secret negotiations in the 1990s with then-Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Lauder said Netanyahu authorised him to explore a peace agreement, on condition that he report every detail. '[Netanyahu] chose politics over peace. He put his political future before the deal [...] He betrayed me' – Ronald Lauder, head of the World Jewish Congress Over 10 to 15 months, he travelled repeatedly between Israel and Syria, sometimes visiting Lebanon, and developed a 10-point agreement. “Assad was ready to sign it,” he said. “It was there for Bibi to sign. Bibi decided not to sign.” Lauder claimed Netanyahu had agreed to withdraw from the Golan Heights, despite subsequently denying that he had authorised such a concession. He said the proposed arrangements concerning Lebanon would have left Hezbollah as “a political organisation and nothing more”. According to Lauder, Assad’s side had signed the document when Netanyahu asked him to secure then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon’s approval before proceeding. Lauder interpreted that condition as an attempt to avoid the political consequences of signing. “I spent months and months getting this thing together, and he says ‘only if you convince Sharon’,” he said. Lauder said he told Netanyahu that Sharon would not support an agreement that gave the prime minister credit. “So why don’t you sign it and stand up for Israel? He wouldn’t do it.” Lauder declined to disclose the detailed terms and said he held the only two copies of the final agreement. “If that had been signed and if that had happened, there would be a different Middle East today. Period,” he said. A friendship unravels Lauder traced his friendship with Netanyahu to the latter’s time as Israel’s ambassador to the UN in the 1980s. He described introducing him to political strategist Arthur Finkelstein and hosting a farewell gathering attended by prominent figures in American business and media before Netanyahu returned to Israel. Netanyahu is going nowhere until Israel's Palestinians are taken seriously Read More » But Lauder said Netanyahu became increasingly focused on political advancement, while Sara Netanyahu opposed his influence over her husband. “He had to make a choice between me or Sara. He left me behind,” Lauder said. His investment in Israel’s Channel 10 further damaged their relationship. Former Lauder advisers told Haaretz that Netanyahu had encouraged him to buy the television station, then repeatedly complained when its reporting became critical of him. According to those advisers, requests to intervene were rejected on the grounds that shareholders could not legally interfere with news coverage. Asked how Channel 10 affected their relationship, Lauder replied: “It destroyed it.” He declined to elaborate, citing ongoing court proceedings and his wish to avoid being called as a witness. Lauder acknowledged that he had continued publicly describing Netanyahu as a friend after their relationship deteriorated, believing a public confrontation would serve little purpose. Warning over far-right ministers Lauder strongly criticised National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He accused Netanyahu of allowing them to damage Israel’s future, pointing to hostility towards Palestinians and deteriorating relations with Jordan. “If Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s parties play any role in government in the future, Israel is doomed,” he said. 'If Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s parties play any role in government in the future, Israel is doomed' – Ronald Lauder Lauder also argued that Netanyahu’s approach had weakened Israel’s democratic character. “What you have is a dictator, a one-person show,” he said. “Israel is a democracy, but Netanyahu is not playing by the rules of democracy.” He warned that the consequences extended beyond Israel, with Jewish communities abroad increasingly questioning whether the country protected their interests. He said Israel had lost support in Europe and among diaspora Jews even where attachment to the country remained strong. “You’ve lost the Democratic Party, and you’re losing the Republican Party,” he added. Prospects for peace Despite his pessimism, Lauder said that he believed regional diplomacy remained possible. He said an agreement could be reached with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom he described as intelligent and determined to rebuild Syria. "I only spent a little time with him, but I know him very well now," he told the paper. "He is a tough guy, very smart, and will turn out to be a good leader. He wants to rebuild Syria in the right way. No peace with Israel 'if rights of Syrians are usurped', Sharaa says Read More » "If Bibi were smart, he would call me and say, 'Let's work together.' He won't do that because he wants everything for himself." He also opposed calls to declare Qatar an enemy state, asking: “What would we gain from that? Nothing.” Lauder maintained that peace required Palestinians to have territory of their own. Asked about Israeli political alternatives, he favoured Gadi Eisenkot, praising him as someone who cared about the country. “The fact is that Bibi could have been one of the great leaders of all times,” Lauder said, “and is going to go down in history as a failure.” Haaretz said Netanyahu had not responded by the time of publication of its report.