What have Trump administration nominees said about Israel and its wars?

During nan last weeks of nan 2024 United States statesmanlike race, erstwhile President Donald Trump said pinch sympathy to Arab American and Muslim voters enraged by nan country’s support for Israel’s wars successful Gaza and Lebanon.

Trump visited Dearborn, Michigan, known arsenic nan “capital” of Arab America. And he said straight to Lebanese Americans fearing for their families overseas.

“During my Administration, we had bid successful nan Middle East, and we will person bid again very soon!” Trump wrote connected societal media.

“I will hole nan problems caused by [Vice President] Kamala Harris and [President] Joe Biden and extremity nan suffering and demolition successful Lebanon. I want to spot nan Middle East return to existent peace, a lasting peace.”

But pursuing a thumping triumph astatine nan polls, Trump is preparing to return to nan White House pinch a coterie of immoderate of nan Republican Party’s astir vehemently pro-Israel figures.

While immoderate critics speculated that Trump would move distant from a hawkish overseas policy, his picks for key management and furniture positions person signalled that — immoderate changes whitethorn travel during his 2nd word — a break pinch Israel is not apt to beryllium among them.

Several of Trump’s nominees not only support continued US subject and negotiated assistance for Israel, but besides echo nan views and goals of Israeli ultranationalists, who support nan description of forbidden Israeli settlements into Palestinian territory.

Meanwhile, nan warfare successful Gaza continues to thrust civilian casualties, pinch astatine slightest 43,799 killed since nan conflict began successful October 2023. A caller report from a United Nations typical committee recovered that Israel’s methods successful nan Palestinian enclave were “consistent pinch genocide“.

What person Trump’s high-level picks said astir nan ongoing conflict successful nan Middle East? Here are a fewer of his nominees, successful their ain words.

US Senator Marco Rubio speaks to nan media during a 2016 news convention astatine nan Temple Beth El successful West Palm Beach, Florida [File: Joe Raedle/Getty Images via AFP]

Marco Rubio, nominee to beryllium caput of state

A longtime overseas argumentation hawk, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has been a beardown protagonist of Israel passim his governmental career. He is successful statement to beryllium caput of state, nan US’s apical diplomat.

February 26, 2016: Rubio made a bid for president successful 2016, facing a crowded excavation of Republican candidates including Trump. At a Republican superior statement successful Houston, Texas, he emphasised that he would “stand firmly connected nan broadside of Israel” — and utilized his position to tie a opposition pinch Trump.

• “I don’t cognize if Donald realises this. I’m judge it’s not his intent, perhaps. But nan position you’ve taken is an anti-Israel position. And here’s why. Because you cannot beryllium an honorable agent successful a conflict betwixt 2 sides successful which 1 of nan sides is perpetually acting successful bad faith,” Rubio said.
• “Instead, here’s what nan Palestinians do. They thatch their four-year-old children that sidesplitting Jews is simply a glorious thing. Here’s what Hamas does. They motorboat rockets and violent attacks against Israel connected an ongoing basis. The bottommost statement is, a woody betwixt Israel and nan Palestinians — fixed nan existent constitution of nan Palestinians — is not possible.”

October 9, 2023: Rubio reacted to nan October 7 attacks successful confederate Israel by calling for an overwhelming subject response.

• “Israel has nary prime but to activity nan complete eradication of Hamas successful Gaza. There simply is nary negotiated solution aliases ‘measured response’ available,” Rubio wrote connected societal media.
• “This tragically basal effort will travel astatine a horrifying price. But nan value of failing to permanently destruct this group of sadistic savages is moreover much horrifying.”

November 2024: Confronted pinch activists from nan antiwar group Code Pink, Rubio responded forcefully to questions astir whether he would support a ceasefire successful Gaza.

• “Are you filming this? I want you guys to get this. I want them to destruct each constituent of Hamas they tin get their hands on. These group are vicious animals who did horrifying crimes,” Rubio said.

August 30, 2024: Rubio sent a letter to nan outgoing management of President Joe Biden criticising nan determination to punishment Israeli settlers linked to anti-Palestinian unit successful nan occupied West Bank.

• “Israel has consistently sought bid pinch nan Palestinians. It is unfortunate that nan Palestinians, whether it beryllium nan Palestinian Authority aliases FTOs [Foreign Terrorist Organisations] specified arsenic Hamas, person rejected specified overtures,” Rubio wrote.
• “Israelis rightfully surviving successful their historical homeland are not nan impediment to peace; nan Palestinians are.”

Fox anchor Pete Hegseth astatine Fox News Channel Studios connected August 09, 2019, successful New York [John Lamparski/Getty Images]

Pete Hegseth, nominee for caput of defence

A US Army seasoned who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, Fox News big Pete Hegseth has been tapped to caput nan Department of Defense, successful 1 of nan country’s highest-ranking subject positions. If Hegseth is confirmed, only nan president himself would person much authority complete nan equipped forces.

September 14, 2016: In an interview pinch nan Jewish Press, Hegseth explained that he grew up a Baptist and ne'er met a Jewish personification until attending college. But he accused higher acquisition of spreading nan “seeds of anti-Semitism”.

• “We person to beryllium much consenting to publically talk astir Israel among citizens who deliberation of it arsenic an abstraction, who don’t genuinely understand nan existential threat to it,” Hegseth said.
• “This is not immoderate mysterious onshore that tin beryllium dismissed. It’s nan communicative of God’s chosen people.”

February 2018: Speaking astatine nan Arutz Sheva Conference successful Jerusalem, Hegseth pledged to proceed “fighting nan clone news astir nan Arab-Israeli conflict”.

He besides appeared to endorse demolishing nan Al-Aqsa Mosque, 1 of nan holiest sites successful Islam, to make room for a “Third Temple”, a longstanding goal of Israeli ultranationalists and evangelical Christians.

• “If you locomotion nan crushed today, you understand location is nary specified point arsenic nan result of a two-state solution. There is 1 state,” Hegseth said.
• He past proceeded to picture a sojourn to nan Al-Aqsa site, besides known arsenic nan Temple Mount: “And arsenic you guidelines there, you can’t thief but behold nan occurrence earlier you. And it sewage maine reasoning astir different occurrence that I dream each of you don’t spot excessively acold away. Because 1917 was a miracle. 1948 was a miracle. 1967 was a miracle. 2017, nan declaration of Jerusalem arsenic nan capital, was a miracle. And there’s nary logic why nan occurrence of nan re-establishment of nan temple connected nan Temple Mount is not possible.”

May 2018: Speaking pinch his co-hosts connected nan TV programme Fox & Friends, Hegseth appeared to brushwood disconnected nan Palestinian decease toll during nan Great March of Return protests. When confronted pinch nan anticipation that Israeli snipers had fired connected “innocent people”, including children, Hegseth shrugged and said, “Meh.”

• “The guiltless humor is connected nan hands of nan violent who put nan kid retired to complaint a obstruction pinch nary imaginable of crossing that border,” he said.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee visits an enclave of Jewish settlers called Maale HaZeitim successful nan Ras Alamud neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem connected August 17, 2009 [David Furst/AFP]

Mike Huckabee, nominee for US ambassador to Israel

A erstwhile Arkansas politician who unsuccessfully ran for president successful 2008 and 2016, Mike Huckabee is an evangelical Christian and beardown protagonist of “Greater Israel”, a word often utilized to picture nan projected Israeli annexation of Palestinian territory.

Early 2008: At a run extremity during his first bid for nan presidency, Huckabee based on that being Palestinian was a made-up identity.

• “I person to beryllium observant saying this because group will really get offended. There is really nary specified point arsenic a Palestinian,” Huckabee said. “You person Arabs and Persians. And you person specified complexity wrong that. There’s really nary specified thing. That’s been a governmental instrumentality to effort to unit onshore distant from Israel.”

May 31, 2015: Speaking astatine an Israel Day concert, Huckabee reflected connected his first travel to Israel successful 1973. He proceeded to opportunity that Israel had nary “better friend successful nan United States” than him and refuted Palestinian claims to Jerusalem.

• “I cognize location are group who deliberation that nan smart measurement to bring bid to nan Middle East is to disagreement Jerusalem up and springiness distant much territory. I propose that nan 1 measurement to person bid is to make clear that Jerusalem will ne'er beryllium divided, and it will beryllium successful nan hands of Israel.”
• “We ne'er tin judge nan conception that Israel will beryllium divided, that Jerusalem will beryllium carved successful half. Let america beryllium clear: The boundaries of Israel are not fixed by nan United Nations but by almighty God.”

August 18, 2015: During a news conference astatine nan forbidden Israeli colony of Shiloh, Huckabee endorsed a imagination of Israel that included nan occupied West Bank, calling nan area by nan biblical sanction “Judea and Samaria”. He besides denounced a woody to incorporate Iran’s atomic programme.

• “I want to show solidarity pinch nan state that astir reflects a reflector image of nan American tone and besides to show solidarity pinch nan Israeli group and to show their utmost disgust pinch immoderate woody pinch Iran.”
• “I would deliberation that, if you’re going to sojourn Israel, you should sojourn each of Israel. And that should see Judea and Samaria.”

February 29, 2024: Huckabee told nan International Fellowship of Christians and Jews that he was overwhelmed pinch emotion aft nan October 7 attacks connected confederate Israel. He besides described Israel’s forbidden settlements successful nan West Bank arsenic nan fulfilment of biblical prophecy.

• “This is evil. The worst level of evil that exists connected our satellite today, we saw connected October 7. And for anyone to march successful nan streets, whether it’s America aliases Europe, and show support for this uncivilised and ferocious behaviour, to me, is simply a people of acheronian successful our world.”
• “When group usage nan word ‘occupy’, I say, ‘Yeah, Israel is occupying nan land.’ But it’s nan business of a onshore that God gave them 3,500 years ago. It is their land. The title deed was fixed by God to Abraham and to his heirs. So you want to talk occupation? I ne'er usage nan word West Bank. I find it offensive. We’re talking astir Judea and Samaria.”
• “As horrible arsenic nan Nazis were, they weren’t posting their atrocities connected societal media and trying to trumpet what they were doing to nan world, which is what makes this horrendous point Hamas has done truthful much, to me, worse.”

US Representative Elise Stefanik speaks during a news convention connected May 16 successful Washington, DC [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via AFP]

Elise Stefanik, nominee for ambassador to nan UN

A congresswoman from New York, Stefanik went viral past twelvemonth during congressional hearings astir anti-Semitism connected assemblage campuses: Her blunt questioning of respective assemblage leaders helped precipitate respective resignations.

Critics opportunity it besides contributed to harsh crackdowns connected pro-Palestine student demonstrators, arsenic Stefanik conflated protestation slogans for illustration “From nan River to nan Sea” pinch calls for anti-Semitic genocide.

May 19, 2024: Stefanik travelled to nan Israeli Knesset to present an reside successful which she described Israel’s warfare connected Gaza arsenic a civilized crusade. She besides called for nan withdrawal of US costs from UNRWA, nan UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

• “What we are witnessing coming is simply a communicative of nan forces of bully versus evil. The forces of civilisation against nan forces of barbarism, of humanity versus depravity.”
• “For years, I person been a starring proponent and partner to President Trump successful his historical support for Israeli independency and information including… President Trump’s wise determination to telephone retired UNRWA for what it is — a hive of anti-Semitism — and to destruct each dollar of its US funding.”

September 23, 2024: Following a UN General Assembly ballot calling connected Israel to extremity its unlawful business of Palestinian territory, Stefanik released a statement condemning nan proceedings.

• “Last week, nan United Nations overwhelmingly passed a disgraceful antisemitic solution to request that Israel surrender to barbaric terrorists who activity nan demolition of some Israel and America.”

Representative Michael Waltz speaking during nan first time of nan Republican National Convention connected July 15 successful Milwaukee, Wisconson [J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]

Mike Waltz, appointee for nationalist information adviser

A personnel of nan House of Representatives and a erstwhile Green Beret, Representative Mike Waltz of Florida has expressed patient support for Israel. He presently serves connected nan House Armed Services Committee. He antecedently chided nan Biden management for providing Israel pinch insufficient support.

August 16, 2019: In an appearance connected Fox News, Waltz expressed his support for Israel’s determination to barroom his legislature colleagues Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from entering nan state complete their support for nan pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Tlaib, a Palestinian American, was later offered a “humanitarian” visit, which she rejected.

• “If they want to do a abstracted trip, past still perceive each sides. Hear nan Israeli government. Hear from nan Israeli settlers. Hear from farmers, for illustration I said, who are nether rocket attack. And besides spell to nan Palestinian Authority. But that wasn’t their agenda. Their schedule was only to perceive 1 side,” Waltz said.
• Of nan BDS movement, Waltz added: “It’s directed straight astatine Jerusalem. It’s directed straight because they’re Jews. And it’s anti-Semitic. And I deliberation that is wholly reasonable for nan Israeli authorities to say, ‘Hey, you don’t want to perceive our constituent of view. Access denied.'”

August 17, 2024: In different interview pinch Fox News, Waltz approvingly noted that, erstwhile Trump was successful office, nan Iranian system was “broke” and was “in shambles” owed to crushing sanctions.

He besides credited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “strong actions” pinch containing nan threat represented by Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

• “I deliberation it’s Bibi that is deterring Iran correct now, because conscionable a fewer weeks ago, they had a location successful nan mediate of Tehran, nether nan protective umbrella of nan IRGC during a statesmanlike inauguration, spell roar and return retired Hamas’s governmental leader [Ismail] Haniyeh.”

October 25, 2024: Following Israeli strikes connected Iran, Waltz noted successful a social media post that Israel had avoided targeting lipid fields and atomic facilities.

• “This mightiness beryllium Israel’s past champion chance to diminish Irans [sic] atomic programme and unopen down their cash. Did Biden/Harris unit Israel erstwhile again to do little than it should?”