Ex-Obama adviser Ben Rhodes rips Trump’s Israel-UAE deal on Twitter — and gets summarily trounced

When President Donald Trump announced the "historic" peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, many rightly took notice — even on the left — calling the agreement "major" and a "big win" for Trump and for peace in the Middle East.

 

Except for Ben Rhodes, that is, a former deputy national security adviser for the Obama administration.

Instead, Rhodes — who is best known for his work on the infamous 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which President Trump withdrew from in 2018 — took to Twitter to downplay the deal, and was swiftly slammed for his complaints.

"This agreement enshrines what has been the emerging status quo in the region for a long time (including the total exclusion of Palestinians)," Rhodes wrote. "Dressed up as an election eve achievement from two leaders who want Trump to win."

To many, the remarks reeked of bitterness over the Trump administration accomplishing some form of a peace agreement in the Middle East, something which the Obama administration was unable to achieve.

K.T. McFarland, a former deputy national security adviser for Trump, wrote that Rhodes' tweet should get him nominated for the "#SourGrapes Award."

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) suggested that Rhodes is unhappy with the deal because it "(1) is good for Israel, (2) doesn't give [money] to Iran, and (3) doesn't undermine America."

National Review writer David Harsanyi added that it was "important to get the Iranian perspective."

Former acting National Intelligence Director Richard Grenell wrote that Rhodes' disapproval is a sign that "you have a good agreement."

Benjamin Weingarten, a senior contributor at the Federalist, wrote, "the mullahs couldn't ask for a better mouthpiece."

Even Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), a fellow Obama administration alum, disagreed with Rhodes' take on the deal, RealClearInvestigations writer Mark Hemingway pointed out.

Aside from Rhodes, Palestinian leaders denounced the deal as well. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called it "treason" while Palestinian militant organization, Hamas referred to the deal as a "treacherous stab in the back of the Palestinian people."

"The deal makes the UAE only the third Arab nation to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994," TheBlaze reported on Thursday.