In a recent interview with Israel Hayom, former US President Donald Trump shared his perspective on Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza. He emphasized the importance of ending the conflict quickly in order to maintain Israel’s global support.
– You have to finish up your war. You gotta get it done. And I’m sure you’ll do that. And we gotta get to peace. You can’t have this going on. And, I will say, Israel has to be very careful. Because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support.
Trump then went on to discuss the changing tides of political support for Israel in the US, noting a stark contrast from the past.
– You don’t have the support you used to have. 15 years ago, Israel had the strongest lobby. If you were a politician, you couldn’t say anything bad about Israel; it would be like the end of your career. Today it’s almost the opposite. You have AOC plus three, you have these lunatics, frankly. You have AOC plus three plus plenty of others. And all they do is talk badly of Israel. They hate the Jewish people.
“Best president in history by a factor of ten to Israel”
Reflecting on his time in office, Trump highlighted his key actions that underscored his commitment to Israel, claiming:
– I’ve been the best president in history by a factor of ten to Israel.
He cited his decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and officially recognize the city as Israel’s capital, a significant nod to Israeli sovereignty.
Additionally, his administration’s role in brokering the Abraham Accords fostered unprecedented normalization between Israel and several Arab nations, reshaping the diplomatic landscape of the region. Moreover, Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights marked a significant policy shift, departing from the long-standing international consensus on the status of the region.
Strong warning on Iran
Towards the end of the interview, Trump issued a stark warning about the regional threat posed by Iran, particularly with regard to its nuclear ambitions. He highlighted the precarious position Israel finds itself in, saying,
– You have a lot of people on the outside that are not friendly to Israel, and they’re never going to be friendly to Israel. And you have to be very careful. You’re in a very dangerous neighborhood and with Iran getting a nuclear weapon, once they have a nuclear weapon, you’ll be speaking to them a lot differently than you’re speaking right now.
Trump stated with characteristic confidence that Iran would never acquire a nuclear weapon under his leadership, but he expressed concern about the current administration’s handling of the issue, emphasizing the urgency and high stakes involved in the complex, “dangerous” and “combustible” geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.
