‘Yesssss!’: Israel reacts to Donald Trump’s return to power in US election

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Even earlier nan US statesmanlike predetermination polls had closed connected Tuesday night, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had taken to Twitter, posting “Yesssss” successful English, while adding emojis of a flexing bicep and images of nan Israeli and American flags.

Yesssss 💪🏻🇮🇱🇺🇸 https://t.co/kPqkYI3PDP

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) November 6, 2024

Israel’s premier minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was only somewhat slower successful congratulating erstwhile US President Donald Trump connected his triumph successful nan US statesmanlike election, becoming nan first world leader to do truthful and framing Trump’s triumph arsenic a “powerful recommitment to nan awesome confederation betwixt Israel and America”.

Dear Donald and Melania Trump,

Congratulations connected history’s top comeback!

Your historical return to nan White House offers a caller opening for America and a powerful recommitment to nan awesome confederation betwixt Israel and America.

This is simply a immense victory!

In existent friendship,… pic.twitter.com/B54NSo2BMA

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 6, 2024

Two days earlier this week’s election, which saw Trump shape 1 of nan wildest governmental comebacks successful caller history, starring nan Republican Party to a landslide victory, polls successful Israeli media showed Trump had already won nan hearts and minds of galore successful Israel.

Asked who they would for illustration to spot successful nan White House, almost 65 percent of respondents said they preferred Trump complete his rival, Kamala Harris. Among those who identified themselves arsenic Jewish, nan quality was moreover much marked, pinch 72 percent of those polled telling nan Israel Democracy Institute they felt Israel’s interests would beryllium amended served by a Trump presidency.

This is simply a further lurch towards nan Republicans. A akin canvass conducted by nan aforesaid assemblage successful 2020 showed that 63 percent of Israelis favoured Trump complete nan eventual victor, Joe Biden.

For Vice President Kamala Harris, who polls showed took a beating for her administration’s unflinching, if occasionally critical, support of Israel’s warfare connected Gaza and its refusal to halt subject aid, celebrations of Trump’s triumph successful Israel apt travel arsenic different twist of nan weapon successful her defeat.

A ‘watershed moment’

“People are celebrating now,” pollster and erstwhile governmental adjutant to, among others, Netanyahu, Mitchell Barak told Al Jazeera from Jerusalem. “I mean, you’ve seen nan polls, group spot this arsenic a triumph for Israel, and for Netanyahu. He [Netanyahu] gambled connected this, reckoning that he conscionable had to clasp connected till November and a Trump victory, and that bet turned retired to beryllium right.

“Within Israel, group spot this arsenic being a watershed moment,” he said.

In nan build-up to nan 2020 election, Trump had told US voters successful a bid to triumph nan Jewish ballot that “the Jewish authorities has ne'er had a amended friend successful nan White House than your president, Donald J Trump”.

In this, unlike galore of nan erstwhile US president’s statements, he appeared factually correct.

In his first word arsenic president, Trump defied world norms and recognised nan occupied Golan Heights – Syrian territory, two-thirds of which is occupied by Israel – arsenic Israeli territory, accepted Jerusalem arsenic Israel’s capital, subsequently moving nan US embassy and installed its pro-settler ambassador there.

Consolidating Israel’s position wrong nan region, nan US president besides embarked connected what he termed nan Abraham Accords, starring to nan normalisation of relations betwixt Israel and 4 Arab states; Bahrain, nan UAE, Morocco and Sudan, successful return for US concessions and, successful galore cases, entree to Israel’s cutting separator intelligence and weapons technology.

More recently, Trump emphasised his wish to re-establish nan lukewarm narration he enjoyed pinch Netanyahu during his first presidency successful July this twelvemonth erstwhile he welcomed nan Israeli premier curate to his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago.

In contrast, nan Biden administration’s relations pinch Netanyahu, while strong, person cooled done nan people of 13 months of warfare connected Gaza.

First, location were nan repeated US “concerns” complete nan Israeli run connected Gaza that has truthful acold killed 43,391 group – mostly women and children – and pinch galore thousands much mislaid and presumed dormant nether nan rubble. Then location were Biden’s red lines connected Israel’s consequent penetration of Rafah. And finally, nan US government’s recent requests that assistance beryllium allowed into bluish Gaza, which assistance agencies person said sits upon nan brink of famine. All this appears to person jarred pinch nan Israeli premier curate who, successful March this year, went truthful acold arsenic to opportunity that US President Biden – whose unflinching subject and negotiated support has underpinned Israel’s warfare connected Gaza – was “wrong” successful his disapproval of Israel.

Given nan unit that Netanyahu faces some astatine location – from group who want a Gaza ceasefire woody to beryllium done to unafraid immoderate chance of retrieving nan remaining Israeli captives location – and abroad, wherever galore countries are appalled by nan levels of unit seen successful Gaza – Netanyahu needs an American state that is uncritical, analysts person said.

End of nan two-state solution?

As good arsenic being much apt to springiness Netanyahu free rein complete his actions successful Gaza and nan West Bank – arsenic is feared by Palestinians successful nan aftermath of nan predetermination – Trump whitethorn besides beryllium nan catalyst to putting paid to immoderate conception of a two-state solution.

“People often impeach nan Israeli correct of ne'er looking excessively acold forward,” independent Israeli expert Nimrod Flaschenberg said of Netanyahu and his cabinet. “And they’re often right. However, pinch Trump, they’ve recognised that his predetermination astir apt marks an extremity to nan two-state solution and Gaza, arsenic we’ve known it.”

In nan US, contempt its unflinching support for Israel’s warfare connected Gaza, nan two-state solution – astatine slightest officially – remains a cardinal tenet of nan outgoing Biden administration’s overseas argumentation successful nan Middle East, arsenic it has erstwhile ones since nan signing of nan Oslo Accords successful nan 1990s.

In mid-May, Biden doubled down connected nan longstanding American policy, telling a graduation ceremonial successful Georgia: “I’m moving to make judge we yet get a two-state solution.”

However, conscionable weeks earlier, Trump appeared to return nan other stance, telling Time magazine: “Most group thought it was going to beryllium a two-state solution. I’m not judge a two-state solution immoderate much is gonna work.”

Trump’s sentiment echoed nan Middle East bid plan, which he called “the woody of nan century” and presented towards nan extremity of his first management successful 2020. To immoderate observers, it publication for illustration an Israeli wish list.

In it, among different measures, Trump affirmed his volition to recognise nan bulk of Israel’s forbidden settlements successful nan occupied West Bank, admit a unified Jerusalem arsenic Israel’s capital, contradict nan correct of return to Palestine’s refugees and, should statehood beryllium granted to Palestine, guarantee it remains demilitarised.

With a recently returned Trump now successful complaint of some houses of Congress and nan Supreme Court, location is nary legislative aliases judicial artifact preventing nan incoming Trump management from delivering what nan outgoing Trump management had promised.

“Trump conscionable doesn’t care. He’s not interested,” Flaschenberg said of Gaza and Lebanon, wherever Israel has launched devastating attacks against nan governmental group, Hezbollah, truthful acold sidesplitting 3,002 Lebanese civilians successful nan process successful caller weeks. “The only point that’s caller is group claiming to beryllium surprised. They shouldn’t be. We’ve been present before,” he said.

‘Slaughter arsenic usual’

“Netanyahu and Trump stock nan aforesaid genocidal agenda,” independent governmental intelligence Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera from wrong Israel, from wherever Al Jazeera is banned from reporting.

“Both are against what they spot arsenic ‘progressive wokeness’ aliases personality politics. What’s more, each assumes that nan different is an idiot that they tin easy manipulate.”

However, Goldberg cautioned that astatine slightest 1 of those leaders’ appraisal of nan different whitethorn beryllium wide of nan mark. “I deliberation Netanyahu whitethorn beryllium a small short-sighted successful really he sees Trump.

“Trump takes awesome pridefulness successful his antiwar stance,” Goldberg said, suggesting that, immoderate promises had been made by Trump successful 2020, applicable support was apt to beryllium constricted to weapons and dollars.

“It’s really improbable he’d punishment American boots connected nan ground, but then, let’s look it, whoever accused Israel aliases Israeli politicians of playing nan agelong game?” he said. “For Netanyahu especially, it’s each astir making it done to nan extremity of that day.”

In nan meantime, pinch nan weapons, assistance and negotiated support already provided by nan Biden management difficult to amended upon, Goldberg predicted small tangible alteration successful nan short term.

“Netanyahu will proceed to do immoderate he wants, conscionable arsenic he ever has,” Goldberg said, “It’ll beryllium bulldoze arsenic usual.”

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