Dershowitz meets Trump at Mar‑a‑Lago, discusses Israel and is asked to contact Netanyahu

Dershowitz details chat about Israel with president at his estate - The Bo... https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/04/06/dershowitz-detai... 2 of 8 In this instance, Dershowitz was a guest of Trump’s buddy and Mar-a-Lago member Chris Ruddy, the CEO of the conservative news source Newsmax. The former professor soon found himself immersed in a Washington power-player schmooze-fest. The mood at the club was light and fun. Vice President Mike Pence stopped over and complimented Dershowitz on his frequent cable TV appearances. Commerce Secretary Wilber Ross said “hi.” A singer crooned “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” When Trump came over, Dershowitz, a Democrat mostly known for his lefty views, shared his perspective on the National Security Agency, the fate of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Trump’s travel limits on immigrants from majority- Muslim countries, and, most critically, peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The Israeli paper Haaretz later reported that Trump asked Dershowitz to contact Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and convey the president’s belief that peace could be achieved now. In his interview with the Globe, Dershowitz wouldn’t confirm or deny the account. The atmosphere at Mar-a-Lago raises questions. Critics have pointed to Trump’s club as an example of how access to the president can be purchased. The club jacked up its initiation fee to $200,000 from $100,000 after Trump became president. Members have a front row seat to history. Thursday night Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife dined there as part of a summit with Trump. He also feted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the club . For Dershowitz, it helped greatly that he was at Mar-a-Lago as a guest of Ruddy. Ruddy, it turned out, had seen Trump that day at the golf course and mentioned that Dershowitz and his wife would be among the guests at his table of six. In Ruddy’s re-telling, when Dershowitz’s name came up that afternoon on the links Trump offered praise for him because he’d gone on TV and defended Trump’s You're reading 2 of 5 free articles. Get UNLIMITED access for only 99¢ per week. Subscribe now 4/7/2017 11:48 AM HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014866