Too many people in Israel cling to the memories of Donald Trump’s presidency, who was crowned as Israel’s greatest friend in the White House by the encouragement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They forgive him for his lies, ignorance, and brutish behavior. Why was he loved in Israel? Because he moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, a move that proved empty.
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They cheered for him for promising to bring the "deal of the century" between Israel and the Palestinians, one that was immediately shot down after being proposed. They forgot about his terrible impact on Israel when he withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, a move that led to a significant spike – during his and Netanyahu's tenure – in Tehran's progress toward nuclear weapons.
Israel praised Trump even though he allowed antisemitic movements, particularly those advocating white supremacy, to raise their voice during his tenure. Even when a protester was killed during a demonstration against a neo-Nazi march, he said that there were good people on both sides, meaning in neo-Nazi ranks as well.
When 11 people were killed during a prayer at a synagogue in Pittsburgh during his time in office, Jewish communities argued that Trump's rhetoric allowed antisemites to become active in the U.S. once again.
No one dared think about the awful fact that Trump's cohorts are evangelicals, and their love for Israel stems from the belief that should all of the Jews gather in one place, the battle of Gog and Magog would occur, Jesus will be resurrected, and will rule the world, and those Jews who refuse to convert will be sent to hell. The evangelical love for Israel is a dark one. Trump is committed to them.
Like Trump, Netanyahu also idolizes evangelicals. He neglected his ties with the American Jewry, thus alienating them, and especially their youth, from Israel. Trump's understanding of the Middle East, like in every political matter, is close to zero.
After the October 7 massacre, Trump said that if he were president, the attack wouldn't have happened. Why? Because the world fears him. The argument is borrowed from Superman films, the main source of his inspiration.
Although the Abraham Accords were signed during his term, he didn’t bring peace to the Middle East as he promised. These were mainly normalization agreements that allowed Israelis to travel freely to Dubai.
And now, again, Netanyahu is waiting for Trump. In a moment, voices close to Netanyahu say, the old president will return. U.S. polls indicate his presidential race against President Joe Biden is close, with him currently having the advantage. The expectations for the former president are also tied to the diminishing affection toward Biden, who saved Israel in the most literal way since October 7.
As the war continues, however, more civilians are killed in Gaza, the Israeli hostages aren’t released, Israeli soldiers are killed, and military achievements in the Strip are becoming less impressive.
Biden is constantly staring at his watch to end the war in Gaza; he doesn’t want a regional war that will drag the U.S. military into it. All of this doesn’t align with Netanyahu's agenda. Even the White House is aware that Netanyahu's desire to prolong the war stems from his unbridled passion for political survival. They call to bring the war to an end and pave the way for a cease-fire, while the Netanyahu stalls for more time.
Trump, the false prophet, has harmed Israel more than he benefited it. Netanyahu surely remembers Trump accusing him of disloyalty following his loss at the 2020 U.S. elections. His return to the White House would be bad for Israel, and the world, as he will undoubtedly seek revenge. He will settle scores with Israel, which showered Biden with love. That's how he operates.
- Orly Azoulay is a Yedioth Ahronoth journalist