PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — We can envision Donald J. Trump wagging his forefinger as did Pakistani restauranter Babu from Seinfeld when the former president proclaimed, “The Democrats are very bad to Israel, very bad.”
In the upcoming presidential election, a vote for Vice President Kamala Harris is indeed risky for Israel and its supporters, but it is no less risky to vote for Trump.
The gravest fear in electing Harris is that she might sabotage Israel’s well-being to appease Democratic voters who are upset by civilian deaths in Gaza or a smaller core group who brazenly stand behind Hamas and other terrorist groups. Doubtful, but we have no way of knowing for sure.
Trump and Netanyahu
If Trump is elected on Nov. 5, he will probably step aside as Israel’s current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, does whatever he wants in contending with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Iran, which is pulling the strings.
Trump ranted last Thursday before two successive gatherings of Jewish organizations that Republicans will protect Israel while Democrats amount to Israel’s enemy, and he suggested that three-fourths of Jewish voters spurned him during the 2020 election though he said he was “the best friend Israel ever had” when he was a one-term president.
We all know Trump better than we wish we did. He has done his best to block common-sense domestic legislation to help vulnerable Americans. He is a convicted felon for financial crimes. He has lucked out in delaying three other criminal investigations. He was adjudged in a civil trial as a sexual abuser. He has set massive records for public lies. He set the stage for denying abortions for women in conservative states. He claims to champion American Jews while insulting our intelligence. That tops a long list.
Can we trust his judgment in relating to Netanyahu or any world leader?
Netanyahu, who has a year to go in power before new elections are scheduled, long ago lost all credibility to lead. We cannot trust him with managing this war. Well before Oct. 7, he intentionally helped funnel funds to Hamas as it persisted with its control of Gaza.
When Hamas invaded southern Israel and massacred 1,200 adults and children, Israeli defenses were insufficient. Various reports claim that Israeli officials ignored warnings of the Oct. 7 attack.
Israel’s response raises legitimate questions as to whether the Israel Defense Forces went too far in its military response. The Hamas-controlled health ministry accuses Israel of killing more than 40,000 Palestinians. Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and Hamas fighters.
“Bibi,” as the prime minister is nicknamed, has personal motives for keeping Israel on wartime status. He is undergoing a corruption trial in which he could face a prison sentence if he is convicted. He was elected prime minister after allying with radical political parties who insist on very tough stances against the Palestinians. He would need to call new elections if his extremist allies abandon the coalition.
The government has called for annexing the West Bank, which would naturally provoke the Arabs even further. It has already planned for settlement expansion.
Trump did much for Israel when he was president, but maybe he will do too much for Israel if he is returned to the White House. If he primarily supports Bibi’s government, Netanyahu could make reckless decisions that will lead Israel to a catastrophe.
Trump’s most outrageous comment about American Jews hardly protects us when he blames us if he is not elected. “In my opinion, the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss,” Trump said last week.
If Trump’s supporters decide to follow his lead, there could be increased violence against Jews and Jewish institutions. If Trump is willing to instigate pogroms here, how can we believe he sincerely wants to protect Israel’s 7.5 million Jews?
Harris and Anti-Israel Constituencies
Harris is unpredictable. Democrats have supported Israel, but they have depended on votes from harsh critics of Israel – some who genuinely believe that Israeli actions are often wrong, and others who are anti-Semites and Islamist extremists who openly stand behind terrorist groups.
Harris will be most vulnerable on Nov. 5 in Michigan, home to a large contingent of Arab-Americans who have threatened to withhold their votes. However, the influence of Israel critics has diminished considerably after the spring campus protests exposed their criminal tactics.
If she wins Michigan and most other battleground states, Harris can afford to ignore spurious demands, but she should certainly pay attention to legitimate concerns.
We cannot be certain what she will do. There could be a lot swirling under the surface that we should fear. Maybe she will do what she says she will do. She will keep the weapons flowing to Israel. If she veers from that position, she might adjust the amount or types of arms without jeopardizing Israel’s security. This would stem from concerns that Israel misused some weapons such as 2,000-pound bombs when lighter bombs would have accomplished the mission.
She might also act tougher in her dealings with Netanyahu since there have been reports that Bibi took advantage of President Biden’s administration in the past.
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Bruce S. Ticker is a Philadelphia-based columnist