Donald Trump's Promises to Israel

Relations between the United State and Israel haven’t been ideal during recent years, but Donald Trump promises to change that should he win the election in November. 

The Republican frontrunner delivered a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Monday, promising to “dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran” as well as “stand up to Iran’s aggressive push to destabilize and dominate the region.”

“We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people,” from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, he said. “And we will send a clear signal that there is no daylight between America and our most reliable ally, the state of Israel.” 

Trump calls the nuclear deal “catastrophic” for Israel, America, and the entire Middle East. While he didn’t promise to nullify the controversial deal, he did say that “at the very least, we must hold Iran accountable by restructuring the terms of the previous deal.” 

Echoing the sentiment of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump agreed that Iran should suffer immediate consequences for its recent ballistic missile tests that violated UN Security Council resolution 2231. 

To support his plan of checking Iran’s growing regional dominance, Trump outlined Iran’s support and involvement in worldwide terrorism. “They’ve got terror cells everywhere,” he said, “including the western hemisphere very close to home. Iran is the biggest sponsor of terrorism around the world and we will work to dismantle that reach.” 

The billionaire then moved on to slam the United Nations, calling the organization weak and incompetent. He explained that if the UN declares a Palestinian state, “it will only further delegitimize Israel and it would reward Palestinian terrorism because every day they are stabbing Israelis – and even Americans.”

Trump also threatened to veto any UN attempt to force its will on the Jewish state and promised to treat Israel like an ally instead of a “second class citizen.” The candidate’s promises are a stark contrast to the ways in which President Obama has coddled Iran and left Israel to fend for itself with his precious nuclear deal. 

Obama’s relationship with Netanyahu has been turbulent, not to mention his espousing policies have been deemed ‘hostile’ to the Jewish state. Trump, on the other hand, has known Prime Minister Netanyahu for years and has promised to work closely with him to “bring stability and peace to Israel and to the entire region.”