Ahead of presidential elections, Israelis cheering for Trump

Almost two-thirds of Israelis believe that Donald Trump will be a better president for Israel than his Democratic rival Joe Biden. This finding, which appeared in a poll that was released this week by I24 TV, reflects the support, and in some cases, admiration, that Israelis feel for Trump before the upcoming election. The results also show that Trump’s popularity is not limited to the right or supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Actually, Trump is one of the most popular American presidents in Israel ever. He is certainly more popular than his predecessor Barack Obama, who was considered cold and aloof. Right-wing circles even considered Obama pro-Palestinian. Polls conducted over the last few years show the clear difference in popularity between Obama and Trump, which trend in favor of Trump. So, for example, a poll by the Haaretz newspaper, on July 4, 2018, to mark US Independence Day, found that almost half of Israelis support Trump, while only 19% had a positive view of Obama.

This romance between Israelis and Trump was hardly love at first sight. During the 2016 election campaign, he was considered to be a loudmouth, known mainly for his vast wealth, the towers bearing his name and the scandals surrounding his personal life. In December 2015, Knesset members from the left even signed a petition calling on Netanyahu to prevent Trump from entering Israel during his election campaign. This came in response to his statement that Muslims should be banned from entering the United States. Knesset members from Meretz even called Trump a dangerous racist.

But Israelis quickly learned to admire the “politically incorrect” president. Why not? He showered gifts on Israel, showed warmth to the country and its leaders, and did the impossible, like moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognizing Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights and killing Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who always managed to evoke Israel’s ire.