Israeli politicians react to Trump’s stunning victory

Israeli public figures from across the political spectrum congratulated president-elect Donald Trump on his stunning victory Tuesday night, though some did express disappointment.

Israel’s political leadership expressed their good wishes for the American people and congratulated Donald Trump on his victory in the elections on Wednesday, while a few expressed misgivings on the new global trend Trump is leading.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett congratulated Trump on his victory, saying he hopes his administration spells a shift in US policy on the possibility of Palestinian statehood.

“I congratulate president-elect Donald Trump, and all the American people,” he stated. “We are sure the special relationship between the United States and Israel will continue, and even grow stronger.”

“Trump’s victory is an opportunity for Israel to immediately retract the notion of a Palestinian state in the center of the country, which would hurt our security and just cause. This is the position of the president-elect, as written in his platform, and it should be our policy, plain and simple. The era of a Palestinian state is over,” he declared.

He also thanked Clinton for “her friendship with Israel.”

Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein began Wednesday’s parliamentary session in Jerusalem with a message of congratulations for Trump.

“‏Allow me to congratulate, on behalf of the Knesset and myself, the president-elect of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump, and vice president-elect Mr. Mike Pence. I am confident that the longstanding friendship and alliance between the United States and Israel will remain strong during Mr. Trump’s term in office,” he said.

‏“We send our best wishes to the American people and are certain that they will remain united in dealing with the challenges facing America and the world today,” he added.

Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked called Trump “a true friend of Israel” and expressed her confidence in his ability to “steer the free world towards successful objectives in the global war on terror.”

She also called on Trump to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. “It would symbolize the close alliance and the brave friendship between the two countries,” she stated.

Jerusalem’s mayor Nir Barkat also called on Trump to fulfill his campaign pledge and move the embassy to Jerusalem.

Member of Knesset Tzipi Livni, tweeted that she congratulates Trump on his triumph, “I hope for the US and the world that he actualize the promises of his acceptance speech, not the campaign,” which she deemed more extreme than his unifying statements during his victory speech.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog wrote on his Facebook page “Congratulations to the next president of the most powerful nation in the world: Donald J. Trump.”

“American democracy today elected a leader who surprised the pundits, and showed that we are in an era of change and new direction. You did the unexpected, against all odds,” he said.

“I am convinced that the security and economic alliance between Israel, and our strongest ally the United States, will continue to strengthen under your presidency. Good luck to you, Donald J. Trump,” he concluded.

Israeli Arab MK Isawi Frej of the extreme left-wing Meretz party expressed shock and dismay at Trump’s victory, saying it should be a wake-up call for the world, according to the Times of Israel.

“I woke up this morning to discover that Trump will be the next president of the United States,” he wrote on Facebook. “The leader of the free world will be a serial harasser of women, a racist and ranter, who was democratically elected by the American people.”

“Trump’s victory was not a mistake, and he is not our main problem at the moment. The direction the American people are going in, and with them the rest of the world, is the problem. The world has become more violent, more racist and more frightening. Trump’s victory is the red light we need to wake up, to re-calculate and work out how we get through this period,” he wrote.

By: World Israel News Staff

Israeli politicsKnessetUS 2016 elections