‘Stay strong, Israel,’ Trump tweets, saying his inauguration day is near

Trump, a frequent Twitter user, is using the social media platform to encourage Israel to persevere until the end of the Obama administration, which he slams as treating the Jewish state with ‘total disdain and disrespect.’ 

By: Atara Beck, World Israel News

As the people of Israel and supporters of the Jewish state are reeling from President Barack Obama’s outrageous move at the UN and expect more blows from the US administration in the final weeks of Obama’s term, President-elect Donald Trump is reassuring Israelis that things will be different after he assumes office on January 20.

The Obama administration allowed the UN Security Council on Friday to condemn Jewish settlements and construction in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria as a “flagrant violation” of international law.

Instead of casting a veto to support Israel, as is traditional US policy, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power abstained, allowing the Council to approve the resolution in a 14-0 vote.

“The resolution being considered at the United Nations Security Council regarding Israel should be vetoed,” Trump wrote on his Facebook page last week. “This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.”

Meanwhile, David Keyes, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, said that Israel had “ironclad information” that the US had worked with the Palestinians on the resolution.

A current news report from Egypt appeared to corroborate Keyes’ remarks, saying that Kerry met with senior Palestinian officials last week – before the passing of anti-Israel Resolution 2334 at the UN Security Council on Friday – to help draft the wording.

Throughout his election campaign, Trump has vowed to make changes to the “horrible” Iran deal. On Wednesday, he tweeted: “Not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!”

As for the anti-Israel UN vote, the president-elect wrote on Twitter, “We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but…….”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Trump’s friendship and thanked him in his own tweet Wednesday, saying, “President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel.”