Far from Pro-Palestine, Trump Might be the Most Pro-Israel President Ever
In recent months, a cultural narrative has emerged that Donald Trump would have a more peaceful foreign policy toward Gaza than Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Certainly, it is possible for Republicans to be tougher on Israel than Democrats. This can be seen in Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy toward Israel in the early 1980s. In 1981, Israel conducted a surprise bombing raid on an Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak, violating the airspace of Saudi Arabia and Jordan in the process. In response, Reagan supported UNSC Resolution 487, which condemned the attack, criticized the raid publicly and halted the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Israel. What is important to understand, however, is that this was a radically different world. American power meant more than it does today, and the coercive powers of the U.S. president held more sway.
And just as 2024 is not 1981, Donald Trump is not Ronald Reagan. Reagan was a pragmatist who understood the value of criticizing Israel when he deemed it to be necessary. On the other hand, there is a legitimate case to be made that Donald Trump is the most pro-Israel president ever.
In a recent call with Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump told the Israeli PM to “Do what you have to do.” That doesn’t sound like a candidate urging restraint or calling for peace.
Israelis are well aware of Trump’s support for their country, and Trump enjoys widespread support in Israel. A recent poll found that 66% of Israelis would prefer Trump as the U.S. president, while only 17% backed Harris.
So beloved is Trump in Israel that there is literally an Israeli settlement in the Golan Heights called “Trump Heights”.
I’m not suggesting that people who are fed up with the Biden administration’s policy toward Israel have to vote for Kamala Harris. But please, don’t vote for Donald Trump because you think that he would offer a change. Look at the facts and use common sense. Don’t be seduced by his claims of being a sleek businessman who cuts deals.
Claims that Trump would end the war are based on a selective reading of his public statements. Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman who has been vocal about his support for Trump, has stated that Trump has been clear that “This war must end.” Boulus is likely referring to Trump’s supposed ultimatum to Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza by January.
But a closer look at Trump’s comments reveal what he actually means. What Trump really said was “I will give Israel the support that it needs to win but I do want them to win fast.” In other words, it’s not that Trump wants the war to end: it’s that Trump wants Israel to win, and quickly. Another widely shared quote is that Trump has said that “the killing has to stop.” The full quote, however, is “get your victory quickly” because “the killing has to stop.” Of course, one can easily imagine what it would take for Netanyahu to “get his victory quickly.”
A ramping up of the bombardment of Gaza, in essence, a siege. Sure, the war would be over. But Gaza would be entirely in ruins.
Trump doesn’t want a ceasefire, as Kamala Harris has demanded. Rather, Trump wants a decisive Israeli victory that cripples the Palestinian state for decades to come.
