Trump mulling firing ambassador who said Israel is ‘occupying’ the Golan – report

Trump administration reportedly deliberating on whether to replace Tom Barrack as ambassador to Turkey and envoy to Syria, amid concerns he worsened tensions between Israel and Turkey.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack is reportedly facing growing pressure inside the Trump administration, with officials discussing whether to recall the longtime friend of President Donald Trump following a series of controversial remarks on Israel, Syria and Turkey.

Conservative activist Laura Loomer, who maintains close ties with the administration, reported Monday that a source told her Barrack was “on thin ice” with both the administration and the State Department in particular, claiming some officials blame the ambassador for contributing to the recent escalation in tensions between Israel and Turkey.

“Source tells me Ambassador Tom Barrack @USAMBTurkiye is on thin ice with the Trump administration and US State Department,” Loomer wrote on X.

“There are internal discussions taking place about recalling him back to the US as some members of the admin believe he is responsible for the recent escalation in tensions between Turkey and Israel.”

Loomer’s report has not been publicly confirmed by the White House or the State Department.

She further claimed that officials are questioning whether Barrack, who also serves as Trump’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, is faithfully carrying out the president’s foreign policy.

“Source tells me there is concern that Barrack doesn’t understand or care to understand the President’s foreign policy,” Loomer wrote.

The reported friction follows an interview Barrack gave to podcaster Mario Nawfal last week in which the ambassador made several remarks that generated backlash in Israel and among some of Trump’s supporters.

Discussing the Golan Heights, Barrack said Israel “still occupy[ies] the Golan against the UN resolutions, against all of the international order, which has said the Golan is Syria’s.”

The statement directly conflicted with established US policy under Trump. In March 2019, during his first administration, Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, reversing decades of US policy toward the strategic territory.

Barrack subsequently walked back his remarks, telling the Associated Press that he had been referring to the historical and international dispute over the Golan rather than stating the current US position.

“US policy is clear and unchanged,” Barrack said, affirming that Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty “remains the policy of the United States.”

He also said his remarks had been taken out of context.

The Golan comments were only part of the controversy surrounding the interview.

Barrack also discussed an Israeli strike on the Abu Duhur airbase in northern Syria, where Israel says Turkey was preparing to establish a military presence.

Barrack said Israel had not warned Washington in advance of the strike and suggested it could have been intended to “bait” Turkey into a confrontation before Israel’s October election.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly disputed Barrack’s account, saying Israel had provided the United States with intelligence concerning Turkish activity at the base and had issued warnings before acting.

The episode comes amid increasing friction between Israel and Turkey over Ankara’s expanding military presence in Syria.

Israel has repeatedly signaled that it will not accept developments that threaten its freedom of action or create a hostile military infrastructure close to its borders.

Loomer claimed Barrack’s comments prompted an unusually large reaction inside Washington.

“I’m told the State Department was bombarded with complaints about Barrack all weekend long,” she wrote.

She then directly appealed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to remove him.

“SecRubio should 100% recall Tom Barrack,” Loomer wrote. “He is awful.”

Barrack’s position is particularly notable because of his decades-long personal relationship with Trump.

The businessman and investor has known Trump since the 1980s and became one of his most prominent supporters during the 2016 presidential campaign. He later chaired Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee.

Barrack once described Trump as “one of my closest friends for 40 years.”

His extensive business and personal connections throughout the Arab world have also long made him an informal bridge between Trump and Middle Eastern leaders.

Barrack speaks Arabic and spent decades cultivating relationships in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere in the region.

Trump nominated Barrack as ambassador to Turkey after returning to the White House, and he subsequently took on the additional role of special presidential envoy for Syria.

His responsibilities have placed him at the center of US diplomacy involving Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Israel.