Reactions were still few and far between in the early hours of Wednesday morning, November 6, as Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the United States presidential election became a foregone conclusion. Hoped for by some, feared by others, the Republican’s return to the White House is likely to have a decisive impact on the two conflicts that are tearing the international community apart: Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing violence in the Middle East, particularly the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that has lasted over a year. While China and Russia are speculating about the new Republican president’s policies, the US’s allies are not hiding their concerns, with the notable exception of the leaders of Hungary and Israel.
In Israel, Netanyahu applauds
If there’s one leader who has been looking forward to congratulating Trump on his re-election, it is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Admittedly, their relationship during the former president’s first term had deteriorated over time, particularly after Trump felt slighted when Netanyahu quickly congratulated Joe Biden following Trump’s defeat in 2020. This time, Netanyahu hurried to congratulate Trump on “history’s greatest comeback,” even before the full results of the election were known. His newly appointed defense minister, Israel Katz, appointed the evening before, expressed enthusiasm at the prospect of his “historic victory” viewing it as an opportunity to “defeat the axis of evil led by Iran.”
Even before addressing Iran and its nuclear program, the issue of Gaza, which is also central, must be dealt with urgently. During Netanyahu’s trip to the US in July, Trump reportedly asked him to take a clear stance on this issue. The Republican candidate wants the war in the enclave to end before he returns to office in January, according to the Israeli media. This statement is not a specific plan but rather serves as a kind of blank check for the Israeli prime minister.
Publicly, he also called on Israel to put an end to the war in the Palestinian territory. He also accused Biden and the Democratic administration of trying to hold back Netanyahu, suggesting that Israel would have more freedom to pursue its war against Hamas if he returned to power. Trump did, however, call on Israel to stop killing people in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of maintaining its international reputation. When asked in the first presidential debate in June against Biden whether he would support the creation of a Palestinian state, he responded, “I’d have to see.”
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