Jewish supporters of Israel are nervous about Donald Trump’s commitment to Israel. And guess who’s reassuring them about Trump’s support for Israel? Joe Biden, the Democratic vice president. Who knew! Well that’s how bipartisanship works in the U.S. Wall to wall for Israel.
The veep said yesterday that Trump won’t reduce the unprecedented $38 billion aid package to Israel by a nickel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyTXIE5707U
Here’s the excerpt of his speech to the World Jewish Congress:
I’ve observed unease [among Jews] that often accompanies a transfer of power that occurs under our constitution… Now there’s a new transition going on, following… one of the most divisive campaigns in modern American history and a number of my friends in the community are anxious about what it will mean for America’s commitment to Israel.
I stand here to tell you that I have no doubt, none whatsoever, that in the Trump administration there will be no diminution of support as a consequence of this transition. Even if the new administration were inclined to reduce the commitment, which it is not, Congress would never let it happen, the American people would never let it happen. That’s the point I want to make to all of you.
You measure your influence on how well you influence me, presidents, vice presidents, secretaries, senators, congressmen, but your influence on the American community at large has been profound. That’s the ultimate guarantor that every American president, and every transition, will never dare, even if they’re inclined — and the Trump administration is not inclined — to reduce the nature of support.
There will be tactical disagreements, there always are. Hell– the old joke you all know and you taught me, Get two Israelis on a street corner and you get three opinions. Well, there’s going to be disagreements tactically, but never on the basic fundamental commitment.”
Biden must know what he is talking about. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported on a telephone conversation he had last night with the president-elect of the United States, in which Trump reported invited him to the White House “at the first opportunity.”
PM Netanyahu spoke by telephone this evening with United States President-elect Donald Trump and congratulated him on his victory.PM Netanyahu said to President-elect Trump that the United States has no better ally than Israel. The two leaders, who have known each other for many years, had a warm and heartfelt conversation. They also discussed regional issues. President-elect Trump invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to a meeting in the United States at the first opportunity.
And the networks are reporting that Jared Kushner, Trump’s Jewish son-in-law is said to have crafted the Trump speech to AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is doing a walkabout on the White House lawn today with Obama’s chief of staff Denis McDonough, in a sign of Kushner’s importance to a prospective Trump administration. NBC’s Katy Tur says this is good news for Israel.
Israeli lobbyist Daniel Gordis tells Jewish Insider that Netanyahu— using the nickname “Bibi”– would have preferred Clinton:
Bibi clearly would have preferred Hillary – “the devil you know.” Having gotten Trump, though, Netanyahu has to worry about Israel’s security, with the US now in the hands of an inexperienced, not terribly smart, easily offended leader with no policies in mind. Even the Palestinians are cozying up to Trump; it would be suicidal for Netanyahu to be doing anything else.
Here is a tweet by Rania Khalek about one of Trump’s prime influencers, who isn’t getting a lot of coverage!
Adelson funded Trump, bankrolls Netanyahu. U'd think a billionaire w unprecedented influence over 2 heads of state would get more coverage.
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) November 10, 2016
BTW, Adelson called on the sitting president, Barack Obama, to nuke Iran, 3 years ago.
More anxiety? Here’s the video message from Netanyahu re Trump yesterday:
Thanks to Donald Johnson, James North and Adam Horowitz.
Trump is perfectly capable of letting the Zio-supremacist donkey know he will continue fellating it. It seems somewhat inappropriate of Biden to be pimping Trump out.
Should Jews be worried about Trump? You betcha! He plans another holocaust! Now, to be sure, the holocaust of the Jews will be folded up within and as a part of the much wider holocaust of all large-animal life on earth as Trump attempts to prevent any action to bring USA’s (and world’s) emissions of greenhouse gases to a halt. But it still means an end of the Jews.
They should be worried even if so many Jews are intermarried.
Sheldon Adelson is not one of Trump’s prime influencers. It seems that since Adelson’s op-ed endorsing Trump, Trump would not follow orders so the money went to congressional candidates instead.
Sheldon Adelson Focuses on Congressional Races, Despite Donald Trump’s Pleas
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/21/us/politics/republican-fund-raising-sheldon-adelson-donald-trump.html
I am sure Biden’s conclusions about Trump are as accurate as his conclusions about the election.
So many mixed messages. So little time to sort.
Three things though:
A) Didn’t Adelson largely pull his support for Trump? I thought I read that he had except for a token amount. Maybe not, but then there’s the Christie nod for some role in Truman’s admin. Adelson definitely publicly chastised and pulled support for him after his use of the word “occupation” during the Adelson primary in Las Vegas back in the spring. That’s gotta leave a lingering political mark that MAY carry forward. If. If. If……
B) On a slightly less iffy note, Sen. Sessions is likely to be in Trump’s cabinet in some capacity. Trump thanked him profusely in his “win” speech. Sessions is staunchly anti- foreign aid and, again, MAY contribute that “spend it at home” generic POV to the incoming admin. Less aid all around but also including Israel.
C) Trump is definitely less beholden to monied interests generally. He won without them.
Might mean everything. Might mean tinkering around the edges in the right direction. Might mean absolutely nothing. But some fundamentals are different this time.
We’ll see.