“U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel — before it is too late!” the former president warned.
By World Israel News Staff
Not for the first time, former U.S. President Donald Trump has complained about his lack of support from American Jews for his pro-Israel policies.
“No president has done more for Israel than I have,” he stated on Truth Social, the social media platform that he owns.
During Trump’s tenure, the U.S. recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, recognized Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, cut financial aid to Palestinians in response to PA terror funding and brokered the Abraham Accords – among other acts benefiting the Jewish state.
Yet in the 2020 U.S. election, a minority of American Jews – at most 30.5 percent – voted for Trump. According to various survey results, he got between 21 and 30 percent of the Jewish vote, although a majority of Orthodox Jews favored Trump over current U.S. President Joe Biden.
On the other hand, Trump adds to his statement, the Evangelical community as well as the Israelis are “far more appreciative” of his pro-Israel record.
“Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S.,” the former president wrote.
He reportedly made similar comments last year, in an interview with Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, saying, “Evangelical Christians love Israel more than U.S. Jews, who “either don’t like Israel or don’t care about Israel.”
Furthermore, according to a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute in November 2020, 70 percent of Israeli Jews preferred Trump over Biden.
During a private campaign fundraiser in November 2019, in a room packed with Orthodox Jews, Trump joked that if his presidency fails he could move to Israel and easily become the next prime minister.
‘Antisemitic and insulting’
“U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel — before it is too late!” he added to his recent social media post, with no elaboration.
Jonathan Greenblatt, left-wing national director and CEO of the American Anti-Defamation League, among others, slammed Trump’s post.
“We don’t need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship. It is not about a quid pro quo; it rests on shared values and security interests. This ‘Jewsplaining’ is insulting and disgusting,” Greenblatt tweeted.
On Monday, the White House condemned Trump’s post.
“Donald Trump’s comments were antisemitic and insulting both to Jews and to our Israeli allies,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated.
“Let’s be clear, for years now, Donald Trump has aligned with extremist and antisemitic figures. It should be called out,” she claimed. “We need to root out antisemitism everywhere it rears its ugly head.”
U.S.-Israel ties are “ironclad” and “rooted in shared values and interests. Donald Trump clearly doesn’t understand that either,” she added.
Trump to receive prestigious Zionist award
Since Trump left office, the Biden Administration reversed some of Trump’s Middle East policies, such as returning to negotiations with Iran and increasing funding to the Palestinian Authority.
Ahead of Trump’s controversial post, the Zionist Organization announced on Friday that it will award the former president the prestigious Theodor Herzl Medallion in New York at the ZOA National Award Dinner on November 13. Trump will receive the award in person from Dr. Miriam Adelson, distinguished physician and philanthropist who stated, in a piece published in Israel Hayom in January 2021, “As President Trump leaves the White House, we must remember that we, as Israelis, as Americans and as proud Jews owe him our gratitude.”