Former Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal highlighted differences in US leadership under Barack Obama and President Donald Trump regarding relations with Israel.
Dino said, the running of the US administration could not be separated from the role of the Jewish group lobby to launch their interests through policies issued by the US as a superpower, but there were differences between the two leaders.
"I saw Obama during his tenure that he did not want to be controlled by the Jews. He was aware that their lobbies were very strong in his administration," said Dino when met at an international political discussion agenda in Jakarta, Friday.
According to him, Obama is not comfortable with these conditions and does not want his government to be "owned" by Israel.
"That's why he is very independent, if wrong, wrong, right, right. That is why Obama is not popular in Israeli foreign policy," Dino added.
Dino served as Ambassador to the US during the Obama leadership period, so he knows the ins and outs of the administration of the first black American president.
It is precisely with an attitude that Israel does not want to be controlled by Israel, Dino really appreciates Obama and the US administration should run like that and have an independent policy without intervention from outside parties.
However, President Trump's stance on Israel's interests is quite the opposite, said Dino.
"There are writers from the New York Times, who wrote that Trump's policies were made to satisfy those concerned, especially donors," Dino explained.
Therefore there is a view that the US administration under President Trump is more towards "Israel First", not "America First", said the man who is now active in the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) added.
