On November 18, 2024, Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, is assembling one of the most pro-Israel teams in history. This new team includes many strong supporters of Israel, and it is expected that the Trump administration will provide even stronger support to Israel than the current Biden administration.
According to reports from The Hill, Trump’s new team stated that with the support of the Republican-controlled Congress, the Trump administration next year will provide smoother support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government compared to the Biden administration. While the Biden administration also strongly supports Israel, it has occasionally clashed with Israel.
Michael Koplow, Chief Policy Officer of the Israel Policy Forum, believes that despite policy disagreements among key pro-Israel officials in the Trump team, he trusts Trump’s leadership to resolve these differences.
Koplow stated, “I don’t think all these people will row in the same direction all the time. I think there will be disagreements and conflicts, but ultimately it will be up to Trump to decide the direction he wants to go.”
Let’s take a look at some key figures in Trump’s new team who strongly support Israel.
Trump appointed Congressman Mike Waltz as White House National Security Advisor and nominated Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, bringing these two experienced foreign policy and national security strategists into Trump’s core leadership.
Both Waltz and Rubio have taken a tough stance in supporting Israel against Iran and Iran-backed agents such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi rebels.
In 2020, Waltz expressed support for President Trump’s Middle East peace plan, which granted limited autonomy to Palestinians in a territory on the West Bank and effectively gave sovereignty over Israeli settlements to Netanyahu.
Waltz mentioned expanding the Abraham Accords in Trump’s second term, which have normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The next goal is to have Saudi Arabia join the Abraham Accords, something that Trump did not achieve in his first term or during the Biden administration due to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians being a key sticking point in Middle East issues.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for the establishment of a Palestinian state in a way that cannot be reversed as a condition for any agreement with Israel, but he also hoped to reach a mutual defense agreement with the United States and help Saudi Arabia develop a civilian nuclear program.
Rubio previously expressed concerns about U.S.-Saudi nuclear cooperation along with Democrats, but he has now indicated that he can change his position to align with President Trump.
While Waltz’s National Security Advisor position does not require Senate confirmation, Rubio’s Secretary of State position does, but the approval process is expected to be smooth.
Their Congressional experience can help Trump navigate a path toward achieving the vision of Middle East peace.
Trump nominated Congresswoman Elise Stefanik as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, demonstrating support for this New York lawmaker to showcase her competitive character on the UN stage.
Stefanik is expected to receive confirmation more easily in the Republican-controlled Senate, particularly as Democrats have also expressed dissatisfaction with the United Nations.
Jonathan Harounoff, the international spokesman for the Israeli Mission to the UN, welcomed Stefanik’s nomination, saying, “Congresswoman Stefanik has outspoken strongly on the issue of anti-Semitism on college campuses in the past year, with moral clarity. Now, her focus will shift to the bias at the United Nations and the scourge of anti-Semitism. We look forward to strengthening the eternal bond between our two countries.”
Trump nominated former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Commentators suggest that no one could be more supportive of Israel than Huckabee. Both bipartisan members of Congress and the Netanyahu government in Israel are familiar with Huckabee, who is more like a Christian evangelist and has led tour groups to Israel, supporting Jewish sovereignty over the West Bank, rejecting Palestinian sovereignty claims to the territory, and supporting Israel’s occupation of settlements in the West Bank.
The role of Ambassador to Israel requires Senate approval. Once confirmed, Huckabee may play a role in changing U.S. policy to recognize the sovereignty of Israeli settlements. He may also seek to deepen these connections through public visits to these communities or by establishing commercial, educational, or research partnerships with Israeli settlements, similar to Trump’s policy of recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in his first term.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will participate in Huckabee’s confirmation hearing, as he believes Huckabee supports Israeli territorial expansion.
Van Hollen said, “He supports the concept of Greater Israel – Israel controlling the entire territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean – this is Mike Huckabee’s vision and what is advocated by the right-wing in Israel including members of the Netanyahu government.”
Van Hollen opposes this vision, telling MSNBC, “If he continues to pursue these views, it will lead to continued instability and violence in the Middle East.”
Trump appointed real estate mogul Steve Witkoff as a special envoy for Middle East affairs.
Witkoff is less well-known among bipartisan members of Congress and is considered a close personal friend and golfing buddy of Trump, with no apparent diplomatic policy or Middle East experience.
Trump’s first-term Middle East envoy was his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who also lacked Middle East or diplomatic policy experience, but helped Trump successfully achieve the Abraham Accords.
Brad Sherman, a Democratic Congressman from California and member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, expressed concerns about the trend of businessmen entering politics, saying, “Since so many businessmen have concerns about public policy, then it must be his concern.”
Witkoff’s greatest asset is considered to be his personal relationship with Trump. In September of this year, Witkoff was golfing with Trump in Florida when Trump faced a second assassination attempt.
In announcing Witkoff’s appointment, Trump said, “Steve will steadfastly advocate for peace, making us all proud.”
Previously, Witkoff has praised Trump’s handling of the Israel issue, stating that Trump’s “leadership is beneficial for Israel and the entire (Middle East) region.”
In late July, Witkoff posted on the social platform X, “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Middle East has experienced historic peace and stability. Strength can prevent war. Funds for Iran have been cut off, preventing them from funding global terrorist activities.”
Witkoff also served as co-chair of the Trump inaugural committee to ensure a successful inauguration on January 20.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has become one of Trump’s most powerful and enthusiastic supporters and has been increasingly involved in discussions on foreign affairs, becoming a senior advisor to Trump’s inner circle.
While Musk does not have an official title in foreign policy, he has been involved in talks with foreign leaders like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Musk also met with Iranian officials to discuss easing tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Trump has appointed Musk to lead a “Government Efficiency Department” to streamline the federal government, cutting the federal budget and saving taxpayer money.
Although this department is not related to foreign policy, Musk himself supports Israel and has a good personal relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Musk has publicly spoken out against anti-Semitism on his social media platform X, publicly supporting Israel.
In November 2023, Netanyahu took Musk to visit an Israeli community that was devastated by a Hamas attack on October 7. During the visit, Musk agreed to provide Starlink communication satellites to Gaza only with the approval of the Israeli government.
Musk also attended Netanyahu’s speech at a joint session of the U.S. Congress in July.
This academic year, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic demonstrators on U.S. college campuses have already faced stricter rules under the Biden administration. However, once the Trump administration takes office next year, they may face even harsher penalties, including deportation.
During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly threatened to deport anti-Israel demonstrators on college campuses as a way to punish them and threatened to revoke the visas of these international students.
According to The Washington Post, in May of this year, Trump said at an event with donors, “One thing I do is, any student protesting (against Israel), I will kick them out of this country. You know, there are a lot of foreign students there. As soon as they hear this news, they will change their behavior.”
The Republican National Committee (RNC) adopted a platform this summer that included the goal of “expelling pro-Hamas extremists to make our college campuses safe and patriotic”.
Trump has also frequently threatened to put financial pressure on universities and colleges. Legal experts suggest that universities may soon face external pressure to constrain their student bodies internally.
Since his re-election as President of the United States on November 5, Trump has had three phone calls with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu within a week. With Trump choosing pro-Israel candidates for his new cabinet, he is likely to continue to firmly and more strongly support Israel.