Trump is all about Trump. No country can see the US as a true ally as long as he is in office. Ukraine wisely decided not to tell the US of their big strikes in Russia.
As long as everything is transactional, we have no foreign policy under this administration.
It’s a little bizarre to say Israel is a democracy aligned with American values. Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide with new war crimes being reported daily. Innocent civilians are being starved. And this is all happening with American funding. This is the great evil of our time.
I agree about Netanyahu. I understand why Israel is an important ally as the only democracy in the region, but if we don’t respect or trust its current leader do we still support the country? I wonder if other leaders are asking the same question about America and Trump.
I would say Netanyahu is not Israel the same way that Trump is not America. Historically, in that region, Israel and America have been closely aligned and very close allies.
This makes it so hard to know how to help. I ache for my Jewish friends and the missing Israelis who were kidnapped. How do we support the people of Israel but not the actions of Netanyahu? I ache for the Palestinian children who are starving and being bombed. I know so little about the history of this region. I feel so unqualified to even discuss it, but it feels wrong to say nothing. All of it feels bad/wrong.
@margaux I think they tell us that it’s “complicated” to take away our voice. Kidnapping hostages are wrong. Bombing innocent civilians is wrong. That’s it. The war must stop.
Is Israel a true democracy? They have an entire second class of citizens (Palestinian Israelis) that face “discrimination and marginalization in areas such as education, housing, and employment. They also face limitations in expressing their political views due to restrictions on free speech and assembly”. Additionally, Netanyahu’s attacks on the judiciary have Israel sliding towards an autocracy.
By definition this is a segregationist state similar to apartheid, not a true democracy.
I agree with the fact that Netanyahu ≠ Israel like Trump ≠ USA. But the legal and political and social systems in place in Israel trumps all of that.
While Trumps shift in foreign policy strategy may not have been in his campaign speeches, he is doing EXACTLY what, those of us who didn’t vote for him, expected. The words “America First” may come out of his mouth, but anyone with eyes can see his motivation has always been and will always be Trump First.
I hope Trump does start to openly criticize Netanyahu and Israel’s conduct of the war. Then ICE can pick him up for antisemitism and aiding terrorists and send him to El Salvador.
Americas influence and economic position are sited in the last line of your article. I feel strongly that Trumps moves are all about strengthening HIS influence and economic position, he clearly does not care about America, he cares only about what will benefit him.
I also remember back in April, Witkoff was telling news outlets that the administration wanted things that everyone thought sounded like the original Iran deal, merely capping the nuclear program...something that had a chance of Iran taking seriously. But once people talked about how similar it was to Obama's deal, Witkoff changed direction and started demanding the complete destruction of the nuclear program, which left nothing that Iran would ever take seriously. I wonder why the negotiations are so chaotic... Obama Derangement Syndrome? 🤔
Trump has fundamentally changed foreign policy- it IS about him and his personal gain. America has, since WW2, had at least some stated public policy about aligning our global interest with humanitarian values. This helped to influence global policy. The republicans have abandoned those values.
So many times during the election cycle I was told by friends and family that supporting Harris/Walz was supporting Hamas terror and the end of Israel. That only Trump could end the war and crush the terrorists. Now Trump is in business and bed with literal terrorists. Accepting a plane from the people who trained men to fly planes into the World trade Towers. The terrorist who order the murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi because Mohammed bin Salman did not like what the journalist was writing. (Sound familiar? I am sure Salman thought he was "nasty"). The Trump boys have been all over the Middle East signing business deals and selling $trump. Our government is for sale to whoever pays. Loyalty and history mean nothing. It is disgusting.
I believe the immediate, and greatest consequence of Trump's foreign policy endeavors with regard to Israel and its Arab/Persian neighbors is his complete lack of diplomatic behavior. Through all of this, a diplomatic president would be able to manage the rhetorical nuances that separate Netanyahu (and Israel's current government) from Jewish people. Unfortunately, due to Trump's inability to effectively and steadfastly communicate U.S. policy with regard to the Middle East and Israel...he simply comes across as the antisemite he is. This, as we witnessed during Trump 1.0, gives fodder and cause to White, Christian Nationalists and antisemites in our own nation who now feel--not only condoned, but compelled to strike with violence against Jews. We all know that Donald Trump will go down in American History as the worst president to this time (and hopefully 'all' time), but when future generations ask, "why?"...the simple answer will be, "because he was weak."
Trump has no idea how to form or keep diplomatic relationships in crucial areas. I do not for a minute feel badly for Netanyahu. As much as I realize Israel is a needed ally in the Middle East, the behavior of Netanyahu towards the innocent people of Gaza, including children, is unacceptable behavior. I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m certain that don doesn’t either, and instead of consulting people who actually know the Middle East politics and policies, he will rant to his cronies and news media his always terrible ideas.
Trump is all about Trump. No country can see the US as a true ally as long as he is in office. Ukraine wisely decided not to tell the US of their big strikes in Russia.
As long as everything is transactional, we have no foreign policy under this administration.
It’s a little bizarre to say Israel is a democracy aligned with American values. Netanyahu is a war criminal committing genocide with new war crimes being reported daily. Innocent civilians are being starved. And this is all happening with American funding. This is the great evil of our time.
I agree about Netanyahu. I understand why Israel is an important ally as the only democracy in the region, but if we don’t respect or trust its current leader do we still support the country? I wonder if other leaders are asking the same question about America and Trump.
I would say Netanyahu is not Israel the same way that Trump is not America. Historically, in that region, Israel and America have been closely aligned and very close allies.
This makes it so hard to know how to help. I ache for my Jewish friends and the missing Israelis who were kidnapped. How do we support the people of Israel but not the actions of Netanyahu? I ache for the Palestinian children who are starving and being bombed. I know so little about the history of this region. I feel so unqualified to even discuss it, but it feels wrong to say nothing. All of it feels bad/wrong.
@margaux I think they tell us that it’s “complicated” to take away our voice. Kidnapping hostages are wrong. Bombing innocent civilians is wrong. That’s it. The war must stop.
Is Israel a true democracy? They have an entire second class of citizens (Palestinian Israelis) that face “discrimination and marginalization in areas such as education, housing, and employment. They also face limitations in expressing their political views due to restrictions on free speech and assembly”. Additionally, Netanyahu’s attacks on the judiciary have Israel sliding towards an autocracy.
By definition this is a segregationist state similar to apartheid, not a true democracy.
I agree with the fact that Netanyahu ≠ Israel like Trump ≠ USA. But the legal and political and social systems in place in Israel trumps all of that.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-palestinian-citizens-dissent-b0a85e866c8a2ee9235ed4452d3185a7#
https://www.thecairoreview.com/essays/is-israel-a-liberal-democracy/#:~:text=Consequently%2C%20Israel%20is%20willing%20to%20accommodate%20Palestinian,education%2C%20urban%20development%20and%20basic%20civil%20rights.
While Trumps shift in foreign policy strategy may not have been in his campaign speeches, he is doing EXACTLY what, those of us who didn’t vote for him, expected. The words “America First” may come out of his mouth, but anyone with eyes can see his motivation has always been and will always be Trump First.
I hope Trump does start to openly criticize Netanyahu and Israel’s conduct of the war. Then ICE can pick him up for antisemitism and aiding terrorists and send him to El Salvador.
Americas influence and economic position are sited in the last line of your article. I feel strongly that Trumps moves are all about strengthening HIS influence and economic position, he clearly does not care about America, he cares only about what will benefit him.
I also remember back in April, Witkoff was telling news outlets that the administration wanted things that everyone thought sounded like the original Iran deal, merely capping the nuclear program...something that had a chance of Iran taking seriously. But once people talked about how similar it was to Obama's deal, Witkoff changed direction and started demanding the complete destruction of the nuclear program, which left nothing that Iran would ever take seriously. I wonder why the negotiations are so chaotic... Obama Derangement Syndrome? 🤔
Trump has fundamentally changed foreign policy- it IS about him and his personal gain. America has, since WW2, had at least some stated public policy about aligning our global interest with humanitarian values. This helped to influence global policy. The republicans have abandoned those values.
So many times during the election cycle I was told by friends and family that supporting Harris/Walz was supporting Hamas terror and the end of Israel. That only Trump could end the war and crush the terrorists. Now Trump is in business and bed with literal terrorists. Accepting a plane from the people who trained men to fly planes into the World trade Towers. The terrorist who order the murder and dismemberment of Khashoggi because Mohammed bin Salman did not like what the journalist was writing. (Sound familiar? I am sure Salman thought he was "nasty"). The Trump boys have been all over the Middle East signing business deals and selling $trump. Our government is for sale to whoever pays. Loyalty and history mean nothing. It is disgusting.
I believe the immediate, and greatest consequence of Trump's foreign policy endeavors with regard to Israel and its Arab/Persian neighbors is his complete lack of diplomatic behavior. Through all of this, a diplomatic president would be able to manage the rhetorical nuances that separate Netanyahu (and Israel's current government) from Jewish people. Unfortunately, due to Trump's inability to effectively and steadfastly communicate U.S. policy with regard to the Middle East and Israel...he simply comes across as the antisemite he is. This, as we witnessed during Trump 1.0, gives fodder and cause to White, Christian Nationalists and antisemites in our own nation who now feel--not only condoned, but compelled to strike with violence against Jews. We all know that Donald Trump will go down in American History as the worst president to this time (and hopefully 'all' time), but when future generations ask, "why?"...the simple answer will be, "because he was weak."
We have spurned all of our allies in this admin, some just seemingly for sport (re: Canada), why would Israel be any different?
I would no longer call our country a functioning democracy, so I doubt that is a consideration when dealing with Israel.
Trump has no idea how to form or keep diplomatic relationships in crucial areas. I do not for a minute feel badly for Netanyahu. As much as I realize Israel is a needed ally in the Middle East, the behavior of Netanyahu towards the innocent people of Gaza, including children, is unacceptable behavior. I don’t know what the answer is, but I’m certain that don doesn’t either, and instead of consulting people who actually know the Middle East politics and policies, he will rant to his cronies and news media his always terrible ideas.
Trump couple years back said he likes to see countries with atomic weapons if they choose to have them