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With the Russian investigation proceeding at a rapid pace, George Papadopoulos, an otherwise marginal campaign adviser to Trump, is now the man in the middle of the explosive probe.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about meetings he held with Russian officials to discuss potentially damning information about Hillary Clinton during the campaign.

Legal analysts say Papadopoulos’s plea deal might signal that he is ready to dish dirt on Paul Manafort or President Trump.

To Israelis, the young adviser is well known.

As a consultant on energy issues, he took special interestin emerging gas deals between Israel, Greece and Cyprus and advised Israel to use its newly found gas reserves to forge a alliance with Greece and Cyprus.

Papadopoulos was also an honored guest at a pre-inauguration reception held by representatives of the Jewish settler community in the West Bank. At the event, which took place in Washington, where he expressed his support, in a short video to the settlers, stating: “We hope that the people of Judea and Samaria will have a great 2017. We are looking forward to ushering in a new relationship with all of Israel, including the historic Judea and Samaria.” In the report about the meeting, Papadopoulos was described as an adviser to President Trump, although at the time he did not hold any official capacity with the administration.

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman