Former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump told Jewish donors in a fundraising event held on Monday he supports Israel’s right to defend itself and continue its operation in Gaza, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.
In recent months, Republican donors have pressured Trump to take a stronger stance in support of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump had criticized Netanyahu back in April, saying that the October 7 terrorist attack happened "on his watch." During a closed-door conversation, the former president didn’t mention Netanyahu but noted to the donors that he supports Israel's right to continue its "war on terror."
Trump also boasted about his policies toward Israel during his time in the White House, telling donors that Israel needs his help now more than ever. He noted that the demonstrations in the streets for Israel have smaller crowds than his rallies, and in Washington, particularly in Congress, "Israel is losing its power. It’s incredible," he said according to guests.
During the closed-door conversation, Trump repeatedly listed everything he believes he did for Israel during his tenure. He mentioned moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, contrary to decades of American policy, and recognizing the Golan Heights as an integral part of Israel, saying he did so after a five-minute conversation with his then-ambassador, David Friedman.
According to those present, Trump also asked if they liked Friedman, hinting that if elected, he might reappoint him. According to the donors, Trump said, "So I did Golan Heights. You know that’s worth $2 trillion if you put it in real estate terms. But it’s worth more than that.”
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U.S. President Joe Biden, Donald Trump
(Photo: Alex Brandon/AP, Stephanie Scarbrough/AP)
During the conversation, the former president expressed significant frustration that American Jews didn’t vote for him as he believes they should have. "But how can a Jewish person vote for a Democrat, and Biden in particular? But forget Biden, they [Democrats] always let you down."
Trump added that he had studied Jewish history and noted that this moment in the United States reminds him of the moments before World War II. "You go back through history, this is just like before the Holocaust. I swear, if you look it’s the same thing" he said, according to guests present.
"You had a weak president or head of the country. And it just built and built. And then, all of a sudden, you ended up with Hitler. You ended up with a problem like nobody knew,” he added.
After several donors in the room expressed their concerns about the anti-Israel protests on campuses across the United States, Trump reiterated his promise to deport protesting students from the country.
"One thing I do is any student that protests — I throw them out of the country. There are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that, they’re going to behave," Trump told donors. He called the protesters part of a "radical revolution" he vowed to defeat, praised the New York City Police Department for clearing the Columbia University campus, and said other cities should follow its lead.
He added, "It has to be stopped now. If you get me elected, we’re going to set that movement back 25 or 30 years,” according to donors present.