Steve Witkoff was just a spectator at the US Capitol when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress in July, an experience the real estate investor described as “epic” and “spiritual”.
Five months later, the Bronx-born businessman — with no experience of diplomacy — was in Israel as Donald Trump’s chosen Middle East envoy, cajoling and pressuring Netanyahu to make concessions to end the devastating 15-month war in Gaza.
After grinding on-off talks, countless false dawns and seemingly never-ending problems, the odds appeared stacked against a breakthrough before the end of Joe Biden’s term as US president.