intellectual curiosity - we're talking about a guy who mentioned Frederick Douglas as a talking point without even bothering to check whether he is a contemporary or an historical figure (let's not even get into the implications of the fact that he didn't already know).

I don't doubt that Trump has limited appreciation for the nuances of Palestinian-Israeli relationships. But what would make anyone think that he is interested in stopping West Bank settlement activity? This entire move in officially recognizing Jerusalem is nothing more than a personal gift to Sheldon Adelson. I doubt Adelson would receive the gift with a smile if it were to be used as a hammer to end settlement activity.

That said, Trump's statement about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result resonates with me. So I'm not sure we can fully judge this yet. What went on behind the scenes, through back channels, before the announcement? Anything? Is Saudi Arabia, Israel's new and best ally in the region, simply because the two countries share more interests in common than not at this point, reacting privately any differently than they are publicly? In truth the embassy move is really nbot imminent - I read it will take a couple of years, which means that could actually become a bargaining chip. As one example.

I think we need to wait and see how this high stakes gamble plays out.