There is a good chance that Donald Trump could be cited as the most pro-Israel US President of all time if you asked the typical Israeli on the street or supporter of the Jewish State. This has been confirmed by numerous informal and scientific polls. In the sole democracy in the Middle East, the former President enjoys an extraordinarily high level of popularity (a June 2019 poll found that 79% of Israelis backed him, compared to 10% who did not). The Trump administration stands out, especially when compared to previous administrations like the Obama and Carter ones, which were frequently seen as hostile toward Israel, or to administrations like Clinton and Bush Sr., which were not seen as anti-Israel but frequently forced Israel to take actions that were not in its best interest, sometimes with fatal results. The following are 10 reasons why Donald Trump remains popular in Israel.
Note that nothing in this article should be interpreted as endorsing a particular candidate in the 2024 elections. This article is primarily intended to be informative, regarding Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East with special reference to Israel using facts rather than opinions (for instance, the Embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem was a historical fact). A person should NOT read this article further if they fear they would become triggered or feel unsafe after reading something that could be taken by many as favorably portraying Donald Trump.
Here are ten reasons why many people believe that Donald Trump is the most pro-Israel president in history:
10) He actively and successfully lobbied other nations to relocate their embassies to Jerusalem
Although the US embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem was a historic decision on its own, President Donald Trump has gone one step further and openly urged other nations to follow suit. For example, as reported here, President Trump performed the seemingly impossible and mediated a deal on economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo, two long-standing warring nations (which, for the most part, the mainstream media chose not to cover). Trump had stipulated in the accord that both nations would relocate their embassies and acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. In March 2021, Kosovo moved their embassy to Jerusalem while Serbia has since opened a trade office in Jerusalem (which is usually the first step before opening the full embassy).
When President Trump shifted the embassy, he also eliminated the unwritten international rule that prevented nations from declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Indeed, Guatemala followed Trump’s lead two days later, and Paraguay opened its new embassy in the Holy City seven days later (shortly after the move, a new government in Paraguay returned their embassy to Tel Aviv, but in recent months, they have declared their intention to move it back to Israel’s eternal capital). The full embassies of Honduras and Papua New Guinea now stand proud in Jerusalem, while countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Argentina and Slovakia recognize Jerusalem as capital of the Jewish State.
9) Eliminating the most formidable Shiite and Sunni arch terrorists
The majority of funding for many dangerous terrorist groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis, who currently control most of Yemen, including the capital, and other groups comes from Iran (in certain cases like PIJ, 100% of it comes from them). Second only to the Ayatollah in terms of power, General Soleimani directed not only the heavily armed terrorist organizations that reported to him, but also the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s genocidal army that has exported war throughout the Middle East as well as internationally and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and other countries. Very little terror in the region occurred without his involvement. He was also responsible for the death of countless US soldiers and civilians throughout the world.
After an attempted attack on the US embassy in Iraq and the death of an American contractor, and with US intelligence suggesting that additional attacks were likely, President Trump resolved to remove this ticking time bomb once and for all. On January 3, 2020, after General Soleimani arrived in Baghdad to meet with Iraq’s president, Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Soleimani and other high-ranking terrorists in the car with him. Although not the end of international terrorism, it dealt a significant blow to it. As a result of this attack, Iran reduced their bad behavior for the duration of President Trump’s tenure (this trend has mostly reversed under Biden).
President Trump also destroyed the Islamic State caliphate, reducing it from a “country” which controlled large swaths of Iraq and Syria (including major cities) and which was about the size of Pennsylvania on the day of his inauguration to a shell of it’s former controlling no territory (although most of its capacities have been reduced and most of its members dead or in hiding, it is still a dangerous terror organization). On October 27, 2019, American forces killed the ISIS founder and undisputed leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi which was a blow from which the Sunni terror group has never recovered.
8) Defunding UNWRA and UNESCO
The US provides 22% of the revenue for the United Nations (UN), while the UN frequently acts against US interests in return. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which receives roughly 30% of its funding from the US (about $350 million annually), is one of the most troublesome (and hazardous) UN organizations. Millions of Palestinians remain in refugee camps across the Middle East, denied integration by their host Arab countries, and are the only group in the world whose parents are permitted by the UN to pass on their refugee status to their offspring. This agency is largely to blame for this situation. Additionally, they oversee at least 40% of the schools in Gaza, where young Arab children are taught to despise the West and Jews while simultaneously emphasizing the “beauty” of jihad. Many of the organization’s upper management and staff are officially affiliated with Hamas. For example, the president of UNRWA’s Teacher Association was Fateh Sherif Abu el-Amin, the commander of Hamas in Lebanon and a key recruiter for the terror group, who was eliminated by Israel on September 29, 2024. In addition to serving as a platform for the recruitment of terrorists, almost none of the intended aid actually reaches Palestinian civilians, with UNRWA staff frequently misusing the funds to operate profitable black markets for essential supplies. Trump chose to sever all financing to UNRWA, citing as absurd the idea of US taxpayers supporting an antisemitic and anti-American group. While President Biden regrettably restored much of the financing during his first few months in office, the US has once again stopped funding the UNWRA since numerous UNWRA staff members were complicit in the October 7 Massacre of Jews.
During the Obama administration, another agency, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) admitted Palestine as a member state in 2011. The United States is not allowed by law to support UN groups that do so. Nevertheless, until Donald Trump withdrew the US from UNESCO in 2019, the US stayed a member. Sadly, President Biden ordered the United States to re-join as a member state in 2023 and reinstated funding for 22% of UNESCO’s yearly budget.
7) Recognizing the Golan Heights as belonging to Israel
Arguably, the most important territory for Israel’s security is the Golan Heights in the country’s north. This area, which is a part of Biblical Israel, was granted to the tribe of Menashe by G-d. The Golan Heights famously overlooks Israel’s main water sources, as well as populated areas. From 1948-1967, Syria controlled the Heights and would shoot into civilian communities without provocation. During the 1967 Six Day war, Israel liberated the Golan Heights, ending the nightmare for the Israeli schoolchildren and farmers who were easy targets for Syrian Snipers.
In 1981 Israel legally annexed the Golan Heights, applying civilian law, although most countries did not recognize it. Many countries pressured Israel to return the Golan Heights to Syria. Had Israel complied with these demands, today Al Qaeda, ISIS and Iran would be meters away from Israel’s northern communities and water.
On March 25, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order making the United States the first country to recognize Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights. In recognition of his kind act, Israel created the new municipality of Ramot Trump (Trump Heights) on the Golan Heights. Over 300 homes are anticipated to be built, with many families having already moved in.
6) Making Peace Treaties between Israel and four Arab countries
When President Trump made a campaign promise to bring peace between Israel and its neighbors, the media, politicians from both major parties, and all of the self proclaimed “experts” said it was impossible. Even President Trump’s pro-Israel supporters expressed skepticism. Previous administrations had already tried and failed. The commentators declared that any remaining hope for peace was lost when he relocated the US embassy to Jerusalem. As it happens, the “experts” were mistaken, and four formerly hostile Muslim nations— Morocco, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan—have since made peace with the Jewish State. The peace he brought wasn’t just a peace between governments as the previous Jordanian and Egyptian treaties were, but a peace between the private citizens of both countries. Unlike their counterparts in western nations such as France, the UK, Sweden, and Germany, the majority of observant Jewish and Israeli tourists to the UAE nowadays—and they are numerous—don’t even attempt to conceal their identity. Even the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building in Dubai and a symbol of their economic power, hosts a flourishing Kosher restaurant.
To be continued…..
This week’s article originally appeared on the author’s site and was sponsored by Scripture In Picture: How the Bible predicted the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump and how YOU can help keep him and your family safe with the divine protection of Scripture!
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