Dershowitz details chat about Israel with president at his estate - The Bo... https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/04/06/dershowitz-detai... 1 of 8 4/7/2017 11:48 AM Subscribe Starting at 99 cents Members Sign In Breaking: Live: Senate votes to confirm Gorsuch By Annie Linskey GLOBE STAFF APRIL 07, 2017 WASHINGTON — For former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz and his wife, their recent dinner at the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was a chance to dine and catch up with old friends. Then President Trump showed up. “Everyone stood up and clapped,” recalled Dershowitz, who lives in South Florida during the Massachusetts winters. Toward the end of the evening, Trump stopped by the table for an extended chat, but not about the Trump-branded chocolate cake. The mogul-turned-president wanted to discuss the prospects for Israeli and Palestinian peace with Dershowitz, who is well-known for his hawkish, pro-Israel views. “He pulled me aside,” Dershowitz recalled. “He wanted to talk to me privately about the Middle East.” The March 18 encounter provides a window into the free-wheeling and unconventional policy making employed by Trump, who prizes spontaneity. As a business tycoon, he liked to keep an open schedule that allowed for impromptu meetings; it’s a style difficult to replicate in the White House but can work among the handpicked people who frequent Mar-a-Lago. 2 of 8 4/7/2017 11:48 AM Dershowitz details chat about Israel with president at his estate - The Bo... https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2017/04/06/dershowitz-detai... In this instance, Dershowitz was a guest of Trump’s buddy and Mar-a-Lago Comments 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.’’