Barring surprises, on November 5, along with elections for a third of the Senate, the entire House of Representatives, several governorships and other positions, the world will watch a replay of the 2020 Biden-Trump contest for the US presidency.
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Biden and Trump are the two oldest people to have entered the White House, there are questions about their competence, they both have Jewish grandchildren, and current polls give a slight advantage to Trump. Polls are also close on elections to Congress, where the Senate currently has a Democratic majority and the House is in Republican hands. Thus, the future balance of power within the legislature and between lawmakers and the executive, remains open.
Against increasing tension between the Biden administration and the government of Israel around issues like the day after the war, some Jews and Israelis hope for Trump's victory, as they consider him to be "better for Israel".
Indeed, during his presidency, several Arab countries took the important step of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement with Iran; let the reader judge if the move was beneficial or detrimental. He recognized (west) Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moved the embassy, and recognized Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights. In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu grouped Trump with Persian King Cyrus, who enabled the return to Zion after the destruction of the First Temple and the exile to Babylon, to British Foreign Secretary Lord Balfour who declared his country's support for establishing a national homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, and to President Harry Truman, who recognized Israel 11 minutes after its establishment was declared.
This glorification and the resultant expectations must be reviewed. Several days after the war began, Trump criticized Israel's lack of preparedness and thought the timing was right to say how disappointed he was with the prime minister, as Israel did not help with the 2020 assassination of the commander of Al Quds Forces, Qassem Suleimani.
In a subsequent interview, he stated that "you are going to have to let this play out… you have to see where it ends". This expresses an isolationist world-view, which is also reflected in his attitude to NATO, and which would vacate space and influence for Russia and China. He subsequently said that there is no hatred like that of Palestinians to Israel and the Jewish people "and probably the same the other way around also… ". Some of his actions and statements are considered racist or antisemitic. Supporters attribute them to spontaneity, although one expects a world leader to weigh and consult before formulating a position and expressing it.
But I will not be voting for the next president of the United States, so will not presume to explain why many of his senior appointees, including his vice-president, cabinet secretaries, national security advisors and spokespeople, publicly criticized the knowledge, judgement, credibility and conduct of the man who was in charge of the world's largest military force, including nuclear buttons. I will not attempt to understand how a man who is deeply entwined in legal issues (including a conviction for sexual assault, with 5 million dollars in damages) may regain the confidence of the American voters. I will not analyze what persuades struggling Americans with little education that a man who was born into wealth and had a privileged education, is best suited to represent them against "elites", and will also not assess the implications of a second Trump presidency on America's international standing. Instead, I will limit myself to a private Israeli point of view.
Tova HerzlIt would not be fair to compare Trump's record on Israel with that of Biden, who has been a Washington fixture since joining the Senate half a century ago, and has had ample opportunity to express his support, including when serving as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. During his four years as president, Trump gained much popularity in Israel. But the expectation that he will comply with every Israeli request does not tally with his conduct and his statements. It is doubtful that Trump should be compared to Cyrus, Balfour or Truman, but it is certain that he is not a Messiah, as some would paint him. He will not redeem us, nor should we expect him to perform reality-changing miracles.
- Tova Herzl is a former Israeli ambassador to South Africa and the Baltic countries, and served as liaison between the U.S. Congress at the Israeli Embassy in Washington