Israelis Weigh in on Trump vs. Harris as War with Hamas and Other Terror Groups Continues
The ongoing multi-front wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as concerns about a broader Middle East conflict with Iran, have placed support for Israel at the forefront of the November presidential election.
Digital recently spoke with Israelis in Jerusalem to gauge their preferences for the upcoming election – former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris.
“He [Trump] has been president for four years and was an excellent president — the only president of America who brought us somewhat closer to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Mordechai told Digital from the heart of Israel’s capital city.
Moti Stein, a professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, told Digital that “is very good for Israel.”
He said she was “representing and maybe delivering values that are extremely important for the future of the Israeli society.”
A primary concern for those who favor the Democratic nominee is the preservation of democracy in Israel.
Jerusalem resident John Golub, who, along with Stern, participated in a protest against Prime Minister Netanyahu near the country’s parliament, believes Harris is the best choice for Israelis. “Kamala Harris is committed to democracy, and I think she is the candidate of the two who will help Israel realize its future as a strong liberal, democratic democracy with a strong, independent judiciary that we need.”
Other Israelis expressed apprehension about a potential Harris administration’s impact on Israel. Baruch Kalman told Digital that she’s not the right “candidate to help Israel,” stating that he felt she is “concerned more about the than she is about Israel.”
“Of the two candidates, Trump is the better candidate,” Kalman said. “He’s already shown his support for Israel, and he’s still supporting Israel, and he keeps his word, what he says, he does.”
Anna Gullko explained that her support for Trump stems in part from his values, which she believes shape his policies. “I think his policy will be based on what God demands of man.”
Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, one of Israel’s most widely read English-language newspapers, recently wrote an opinion piece outlining his reasons for believing Harris is the wrong choice for Israel.
“Kamala Harris as president, I think, is something that should worry Jews and Israelis for a number of reasons,” Klein said.
Klein believes that leaders who demonstrate strength on the global stage generally garner significant respect from the Middle East – a quality he argues Harris lacks. In contrast, he highlighted the former president’s demonstrated support for Israel. Klein cited Trump’s record in achieving the and relocating the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as examples of his willingness to collaborate with Israel.
Klein cautioned that a future Trump administration would need to assemble a team with expertise in the region, similar to his first term.
“The question really would be if he’s going to … actually bring back, or work with the same kind of close team he had,” Klein said. “Whether with his son-in-law Jared Kushner or David Friedman, who was the ambassador to Israel. Many people who are super knowledgeable about Israel and about the region. If those types of people actually continue to be close to the president and actually are able to affect him, that’s a good thing. And in general, the is just so pro-Israel.”
According to the , citing figures from the U.S. Embassy, there are approximately 600,000 American citizens living temporarily or permanently in Israel. Additionally, the noted that about half a million of those citizens may be eligible to vote in the November election.