Donald Trump masqueraded as a peace candidate during his campaign for President. But he has already made it clear how strongly he backs Israel, threatening there would be “hell to pay” if Israeli hostages were not released before his inauguration on 20 January.
Trump has reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he wants a ceasefire by then, but is not opposed to ongoing “residual” Israeli military action. But he also backs Israel’s war, saying they should “finish the job” and criticising Biden for trying to set limits on Israeli actions.
Trump’s appointments also show his extreme pro-Israel bias.
His pick for Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is a Christian Zionist who said in 2017 about illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, “There’s no such thing as a settlement. They’re communities, they’re neighbourhoods, they’re cities. There’s no such thing as an occupation.”
He later claimed, “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian”.
Netanyahu and his government expect Trump will give them whatever they want, following his last administration where he recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, cut funds to UNRWA, and recognised its illegal annexation of the Golan Heights.
Bezalel Smotrich, the far right Israeli minister who oversees the settlements said, “Trump’s victory brings an important opportunity for the state of Israel… we were on the verge of applying sovereignty over the settlements” and the West Bank during his last term in office. “Now, the time has come to make it a reality.”
Trump also shares Netanyahu’s aggression towards Iran, nearly sparking war while he was President last time by assassinating Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.
Trump won’t bring peace in Palestine.
