Citing an informed source who declined to be identified, Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds said the Saudi prince “looks forward to Trump’s agreement to the Saudi condition of establishing a Palestinian state.”
Does Trump now plan on recognizing
a Palestinian state?
There are a few other signs that
suggest a change of heart regarding Israel. For example, his unilateral deal
with the Houthis - agreeing to stop attacking them in exchange for their
commitment to stop attacking U.S. ships in the Red Sea. Thus effectively allowing
them to continue attacking Israel, leaving Israel to fend for itself. Then
there’s his current trip to the Middle East, which notably does not include a
visit to Israel, America’s closest and most important ally in the region.
The fact that the U.S. is now dealing with Hamas without Israel’s participation is also troubling. As was Trump’s success in securing the release of the one hostage who is a U.S. citizen - leaving the rest behind.
On top of all that, there’s the media chatter suggesting that Trump has grown frustrated with Netanyahu, disagrees with his goal of defeating Hamas completely, and now prefers a ceasefire.
Then there’s his decision to reopen negotiations with Iran on a nuclear deal. Something Netanyahu once called a “colossal mistake” when Obama did it.
On the surface, these developments would seem troubling to supporters of Israel. Should we be worried?
Well, it’s never a good idea to be
complacent about American support. But if you’re asking whether I think Trump
is somehow abandoning Israel, my answer is pretty much the same now as it was
before: I still believe Trump is the best friend Israel has ever had in the
White House.
So how do I explain all the ‘negative
noise’ coming from both right and left pundits (who seem to be agreeing)?
The answer is simple.
The left hates both Trump and
Netanyahu and jumps on any negative news involving either of them. The shift
they perceive in Trump’s policy aligns more closely with their own views. And they are more
than happy to report friction between the two.
Meanwhile, the right sees even the
slightest deviation from Trump’s previous stance as a betrayal. So ironically,
both the right and the left are noting the same things, but for completely
opposite reasons.
Still, the developments I listed
and others like them do seem negative. So why do I remain confident in the
President’s support?
Because I reject the conventional
wisdom that Trump is only loyal to himself and will abandon Israel if it suits
his purposes. There may be some truth to his narcissism. But his support for
Israel goes back decades. Long before he ever dreamed of becoming president.
That support was clearly manifested during his first term.
More importantly, I trust the
people closest to him. To a man, they say Israel has never had a better friend
in the White House than Donald Trump. I’ve read these declarations from two of
his observant Jewish supporters many times. Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman’s
support for Israel is unwavering:
They know him well and have never
wavered from that opinion of their former boss. Then there’s his son-in-law,
Jared Kushner, a supporter of Israel’s settler movement. If anyone thinks
Kushner isn’t advising Trump behind the scenes on Middle East policy, they’re
ignoring the very close relationship between them. Just because Kushner isn’t
in government anymore doesn’t mean he isn’t influencing Trump on an issue so close
to his heart.
To say Trump has turned on Israel
would be like saying he turned on his own son-in-law. Not to mention his
daughter.
And frankly, I don’t see these
moves as negative for Israel at all. I see them as positive for America - which
is what Trump cares most about. His constantly stated approach to governance is
‘America First’. His tactics on these issues are designed to produce quick,
tangible results for America.
Take the Houthis deal, for
example. His goal was to stop their attacks against American ships in the Red
Sea. He achieved that quickly. Had he insisted that they also stop attacking
Israel, he might not have gotten the deal. Certainly not as quickly. But he
never told Israel to stop their own operations against the Houthis. As far as I
know, he still supports Israel’s actions there 100%.
What about the rumor of a reversal
on a Palestinian state? I trust Ambassador Huckabee’s take on the president’s
policy far more than a report by Al-Quds. As noted by Ynet:
U.S. Ambassador to Israel dismisses as 'nonsense' rumors of Trump recognizing a Palestinian state during his Gulf visit, as his envoy Steve Witkoff assembles a high-profile team to shape post-war Gaza policy.
He added that his four-year-old
grandson is a more reliable source than Al-Quds.
And then there's Trump’s decision
to negotiate with Iran instead of launching a military operation with Israel to
destroy their nuclear capabilities. Is that really a betrayal?
Not if it includes Iran’s complete
dismantling of its nuclear program, a halt to supplying weapons to its proxies,
and strict, verifiable enforcement of it all. If Trump can secure that outcome
through negotiation, why wouldn’t we prefer that to a war with them?
If Iran refuses, I believe Trump
will double down on sanctions until they come begging. And if that doesn’t
work, I wouldn’t be surprised if he orders a joint attack with Israel on their
nuclear facilities. That’s not an anti-Israel policy. That’s about as
pro-Israel as it gets.
In short, I don’t necessarily
believe all the recent foreign policy changes being reported are even true. And
of those that are, they may not be negative at all. Just different tactics to
achieve the same result.
The result I hope to see is the
return of all the remaining hostages, an end to all terrorist attacks, and a
lasting peace for everyone in the region.
What that will ultimately look
like is impossible to predict. And it may even be impossible to achieve. But - love him or hate him - I remain
confident that Trump’s commitment to Israel has not changed.
