Elliot Kaufman
WSJ, Nov. 1, 2024
“At the Republican convention, Mr. Trump told the world, “We want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office or you will be paying a very big price.” Ms. Harris has never said that to Hamas, Qatar or Iran. Her comments on the war blame both sides. And when she says “Israel has a right to defend itself,” a “but” is sure to follow.”
Americans may be closely divided on the presidential election, but Israelis aren’t. Channel 12, the country’s leading news station, finds that Israelis prefer Donald Trump to Kamala Harris by 66% to 17%, or nearly 4 to 1. They probably aren’t thinking about abortion, but they know how U.S. policy affects their region.
As president, Mr. Trump moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and recognized Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights. Israel had waited decades for these solidifying steps. Far from alienating Arab allies, Mr. Trump delivered the momentous peace agreements of the Abraham Accords, which even this war has been unable to dislodge. The Trump difference was to ignore the professional peace processors, overcome the Palestinian veto, and focus on stopping Iran, the subject of his “maximum pressure” sanctions.
President Biden and Vice President Harris see the world differently. They stopped enforcing oil sanctions in a bid for Iran’s goodwill. Since January 2021, this has brought Iran more than $40 billion in extra revenue. In trying to expand the Abraham Accords, they push for more concessions to the Palestinians than even the Saudis seek..… [To read the full article, click here]