Mitchell Bard recognizes that in his first term, President Trump did many good things for Israel. He moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem. He recognized the Golan Heights as a permanent part of Israel. He shut down the PLO office in Washington. He slashed aid to the Palestinian Authority. But about Trump’s second term, Bard is worried. Curb your enthusiasm, he suggests to supporters of Israel. More on his cautious pessimism can be found here: “Trump Forced Israel to Surrender; Why Isn’t He Receiving the Blame?,” by Mitchell Bard, Algemeiner, January 24, 2025:
Shortly after the Gaza war began, I reminded readers that US presidents — not Israeli prime ministers — end Israel’s wars. Predictably, President Joe Biden ended Israel’s war in Lebanon, and President-elect Donald Trump stopped the fighting in Gaza.
Biden did not “end Israel’s war in Lebanon.” He helped bring about a 60-day ceasefire. That does not “end the war.” We’ll see what happens if Hezbollah continues to violate its commitment to withdraw its forces and weapons north of the Litani River.
While Jewish Democrats welcomed the release of hostages, they couldn’t help but revel in the discomfort of Trump’s Jewish supporters, watching their carefully constructed myth of the “most pro-Israel president in history” unravel. The leader they idolized as someone who would never pressure Israel forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — known for his staunch resistance to outside influence — into surrendering. Ironically, Trump achieved what his supporters falsely accused Biden of doing: preventing Israel’s destruction of Hamas.
Again, what Trump achieved was a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages for criminals. In Gaza we have only a hudna, a truce, not “an end” to the war. It would not surprise me if, after all the hostages still alive have been returned, Israel renewed its campaign in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu says that Trump has assured him of his complete support for Israel to renew the war should Hamas violate the terms of the ceasefire. Bard for some reason does not mention this.
Trump demanded that a deal be struck before his inauguration or there would be “hell to pay.” He never said what kind of deal he supported or what the penalty would be — but his supporters assumed the message was directed at Hamas. Instead, Israel is paying the price, as it always does, because the US has leverage over the Jews and not their enemies. Anyone with an honest appraisal of Trump knows that he did not care about Netanyahu’s political future or Israel’s for that matter; he wanted to claim the mantle of peacemaker and win a Nobel Prize.
If Trump’s supporters didn’t get the message from the hostage deal, he reinforced it by demanding that Israel complete its withdrawal from Lebanon in accordance with the ceasefire agreement. Biden reportedly had considered granting Israel an extension to finish cleaning up and giving the Lebanese army the chance to deploy. Trump, however, clearly doesn’t care any more about the threat to Israel from Hezbollah than the ongoing danger of Hamas if it interferes with his legacy.
The very day after Bard posted his remarks, Trump did exactly what Bard had predicted he would not do: he endorsed Israel’s decision to remain in Lebanon beyond the 60-day period that was originally contemplated in the ceasefire agreement. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes called for “a short, temporary ceasefire extension,” saying it is “urgently needed.”
Some of Trump’s biggest Jewish supporters were in such denial of Trump’s betrayal they tried to blame his negotiator, Steve Witkoff, who forced Netanyahu to show up on Shabbat to meet him to receive the president-elect’s message. Witkoff was touted for being a Jew when he was appointed, but was suspected of freelancing in collaboration with the Biden administration and the Qataris, with whom he has business relations, to strong-arm the prime minister to accept a deal that 24 hours earlier was considered by Netanyahu a threat to Israel’s future. It was preposterous that any Trump minion would act without his approval, and the conspiracy theory collapsed when the president-elect proudly claimed credit for the “EPIC” deal.
Incidentally, some Biden bashers were convinced that the president would take some Obama-like action to undermine Israel as late as his final day in office. Instead, his administration lifted restrictions on weapons that had been held up. The surprises they predicted would occur post-election proved to be steps to help rather than harm Israel….
Let’s give Biden his due. He did indeed lift restrictions on weapons — 2,000 pound bombs — for Israel in the last week of his presidency, but let’s remember he’s the one who put a hold on them in the first place.
Holding My Breath says
It remains to be seen, Hugh. According my sources, it was Trump who lifted the embargo on 2,000 pound bombs to Israel, not Biden. Witkoff is a serious problem. I believe that Qatar owns him and is using him as their agent to influence Trump. He is as much a Jew as Chuck Schumer. Even more interesting is Trump’s proposal to move 1,500,000 terrorists.from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt. Sounds like two coups in the making.and the end of the special “refugee” project the UN established to perpetuate its war against Israel.
BibbleBurster says
That is correct. Israel had paid for them and Bidet refused to send them.
I like his idea of removing these terrorists and relocating them somewhere else.
Brent Horton says
Trump betrayed Israel? Really? Trump brokered a ceasefire to get as many hostages home as possible. He is also pressuring Egypt and Jordan to take ” palistinians “. Why? Trump knows that hamass and droptheball will violate their own Treaties. He also knows it’s time to clean out the Terrorist Quagmire, known as Gaza.
You can’t negotiate with Terrorists, ever.
gravenimage says
Brent–with all respect–this “ceasefire”, alredt violated by Hamas, *is* negotiating with terrorists. That’s what Hamas is. And this deal releases huge numbers of Jihad terrorists, and Israel does not get all of the hostages back.
So far seven hostages have been released–in exchange for 290 Jihad terrorists. 26 more hostages are supposed to be released–and it turns out that eight of those hve been murdered.
And no word on the dozens still unaccounted for…
Tony says
Trump is not very smart; otherwise, he would ban Islam, its Mosques, its Schools, etc. for their funding, teaching, and promoting discrimination, terrorism, and violence against Non-Muslims. Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran(Quran 2:216; 4:95; 8:12,39,74; 9:5,29,41,49, 88,111,123;21:92; 49:15 and more) and NOT A VALID RELIGION UNDER WESTERN LAWS. More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Criminal Organization of discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran. Fundamentally, Islam is a Terrorist Criminal Enterprise. The FRUIT of Islam is continual WAR, terrorism, discrimination, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Israel, Christians, and Non-Muslims. Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 98:6-7; 9:29 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous, Muslim war against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam as Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
Islam promotes a terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
Deceitful Allah promises Heavenly Paradise to Muslims for acts of Muslim killing in a terrorist war against Non-Muslims and hypocrites when Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah, so they kill and are killed…”
BubbleBurster says
We have freedom of religion in the U.S..
He can’t ban Islam.
Trump is anything but stupid. He has said, ” I think they hate us.”
somehistory says
If the government used RICO to prosecute mozums, islam would still exist, but it would be illegal to belong.
Brent Horton says
Faith. What is Faith? Faith is meant to show us a better path. To be tolerant and accepting of others, and to walk the righteous path.
Praying for the lost in front of an abortion clinic, or denouncing the perversions being taught to our Children in Schools we pay for, is not CRIMINAL.
Screaming jihad, death to America, Israel, Canada, etc., is CRIMINAL. Rape, Murder, Human Trafficking, Violent Crime and Terrorism is the name of Faith is CRIMINAL.
It’s time for ZERO TOLERANCE towards those who would use Faith as an excuse for VIOLENCE!
somehistory says
mozlums don’t have faith. If mozlums had faith, after they call for the rest of us to be killed, they would sit back and wait for their ‘god’ to kill us.
mozlums know their ‘god’ is powerless to do anything, so they take it upon themselves to extort, steal, rape and murder. No, they do not have “faith.”
Brent Horton says
Correct. They use ” Faith ” as a viable excuse to commit their ” jihad “.
carpediadem says
Send this info to Trump. Jihadwatchers already know this.
Brian Ozzy says
Well said Tony. 100% correct!
gravenimage says
Trump and Israel: Curb Your Enthusiasm?
……………………………..
That’s wisest–but it should have been since the beginning. President Trump *is* pro-Israel, and he is genuiney anti-Jihad (this should be a baseline for *any* Western leader, but it sadly is not).
This is all well and good, but sadly Trump has show many times that he does not actually understand much of anything about Islam itself, and so there will be continuing problems.
His being so wedded to his view of himself as a brilliant deal maker, together with Islam’s concept of the Hudna and its sacralization of lying to Infidels, means that this deal with Hamas never could have worked. But I doubt that he is apt to learn this anytime over the next four years.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I do think that Mitchell Bard has a basis for what he says. It’s that during the elections, Trump campaigned heavily in Michigan – one of the battleground states – and made promises to the various muslim activists that he’d end the war in Gaza and Lebanon. On their part, they did deliver: Kamala came third in Dearborn, behind both Trump and Jill Stein. So Trump probably sees himself delivering his part of the bargain
I do hope that on this Israel issue, that we do see a return to Trump 1.0. While Trump 2.0 is an upgrade on Trump 1.0 in every department, Israel is the one where it has so far looked more like a downgrade. He has to be the one getting this right, since this time, neither the State Department nor the Pentagon is gonna undercut him on this issue, since they’ve done a good job in purging all the deep state people and not hiring grifting conservatives who just wanna do their own thing
James Lincoln says
Pres. Trump needs to immediately hire some top anti-jihadists as consultants.
somehistory says
James, there are many. Mr. Spencer, Mr. Ibrahim, and many others who know islam and what the intentions are; how mozlums work, how they weasel their way…As written before, many who post on this site could give good advice about what mozlums want and how they intend to get it.
James Lincoln says
100% agree, somehistory.
Sara says
What I see is a continuance of capitulation of our executive branch and the U.S. government in toto. My opinion is that the problem is that we continue to try to appease the enemy: the cult of islam and the jihad warriors. We’ve been trying to do it going on 25 years and what do I see? The expansion and increased strength of the enemy.
Perspective:
When we were attached by Japan on December 7, 1941, we declared complete war on them and acted until unconditional surrender.
When we were attached by islam’s jihadists on September 11, 2001, we decided that “not all muslims” are evil and endorsed a fear and appeasement of the enemy. My historical study has rarely shown appeasement of working.
I believe until people en masse, and their elected governments, realize that islam is an evil cult of destruction, and therefore itself must be destroyed and eradicated entirely, this will only get worse.
Finally, let’s make an assumption: islam become the “religion” of the world – they have won. Well, because it’s a self-destructive force, it will eventually destroy itself, as is the wont of evil. I just don’t want to see the destruction and pain caused by continued appeasement.
We need to go on the attack.
Brent Horton says
” Sharia Creep “, the ” Dimi “, ” Jihad “, and the complete intolerance of Islam, should not be accepted in any Western Civilization Sara. If you look at the Commonwealth Countries, and their decades long practice of ” Tolerance “, Acceptance “, ” Multiculturism “, and all around DEI? These policies are a complete failure. A complete failure at the cost of their own Citizens, with the UK leading the Pack.
Your statement in fact, is quite brilliant.