This was alleged of him despite the fact that he has a Jewish son-in-law who was a prominent player in his first administration and instrumental in getting the Abraham Accords accepted by Israel and several of its Islamic neighbors. It was said of him that he was antisemitic despite his having moved our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized Israel's right to the Golan Heights, and having imposed crippling sanctions on Iran.
In any case, Israelis are celebrating his election and his foreign policy nominees. Andrew Tobin has details. Here are some excerpts:
Donald Trump named more than half a dozen pro-Israel hawks to key foreign policy roles this week, reassuring Israelis that the president-elect’s incoming administration will be as supportive as his first.All of these nominees have expressed strong support for Israel. Tobin adds that,
Trump’s picks largely ended talk in Israel that MAGA isolationism could weaken U.S. backing of the Jewish state. Israeli commentators hailed the roster—led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) for secretary of state and Fox News host Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense — as a "dream team."
"This is a great reassurance from Israel’s perspective. The new appointments point to a hawkish administration that will not be afraid to confront the Iranians and radical Islam, and even to present a credible military option against them and create a new reality in the Middle East," former Israeli diplomat Jacob Dayan wrote for Israel’s Channel 12 news. "This is undoubtedly the U.S. ‘dream team’ for Israel."
In addition to Hegseth and Rubio, Trump’s picks included South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R.) for secretary of homeland security, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R., N.Y.) for U.N. ambassador, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R.) for ambassador to Israel, former director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe for CIA director, real estate investor Steve Witkoff for Middle East envoy, and Rep. Mike Waltz (R., Fla.) for national security adviser.
Pro-Israel stalwarts will also play leading roles in staffing the rest of Trump’s second administration. Billionaire financier Howard Lutnick, a major donor to Zionist causes who has said he joined Trump’s campaign in large part to support Israel, is the co-chair of the transition. Brian Hook, a special envoy for Iran during Trump’s first term who helped oversee the "maximum pressure campaign," will reportedly lead the transition at the State Department.Trump's election is definitely good news for everyone who values the only true democracy in the Middle East and bad news for those of Israel's neighbors who hate her, largely for being a tremendous technological, economic, and military success in a country that's like a postage stamp of freedom on a football field of Islamic oppression, backwardness, and hatred.
"A few more Trump appointments and Iran will ask Israel to calm America down," joked Ariel Schnabel, a staff writer at Israel’s Makor Rishon magazine. "And seriously — excellent appointments one by one of the true lovers of Israel in everything related to foreign policy. A dream and an opportunity that must not be missed."