Why you can’t trust Trump on Israel

Israel is facing unprecedented security challenges, including from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. We cannot take chances with Israel’s security, and voting for Donald Trump is voting to gamble with Israel’s future. We care too much about Israel to risk Israel’s security, and we know Jewish American voters broadly agree.

We also know that for too long, some in the Jewish community have given Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt on Israel, and some have even taken it a step further, granting him a blanket of trust on Israel that he doesn’t deserve. Do you know any of these voters? Please share the following with them, and don’t forget that JDCA has additional resources on these issues, including talking points on Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, JD Vance, and, of course, Donald Trump.

The danger posed to Israel by a second Trump term is best summarized by his former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who said in April 2024 that, “Trump’s support for Israel in the first term is not guaranteed in the second term, because Trump’s positions are made on the basis of what’s good for Donald Trump, not on some coherent theory of national security.”

Read: Why Trump Can't Be Trusted on Israel

We’ve seen evidence of this firsthand, including when – three years after moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem – Donald Trump said he did it “for the evangelicals.” His saying this demonstrates that moving the embassy in the first place wasn’t based on a clear policy on Israel – it was based on what Donald Trump thought would be most politically advantageous to him. Watch our reel breaking down Trump’s gaslighting of Jewish Americans.

In the immediate aftermath of the horrific Hamas attacks of October 7, Donald Trump, speaking in Florida, mocked Israeli government officials and called Hezbollah “smart.” He has rarely spoken about the hostages in the past year, and when he does mention hostages, he’s referring to incarcerated insurrectionists whom he’s offered to pardon. At the presidential debate, and in speaking engagements since, he’s failed to articulate any coherent policy on Israel. Instead, he’s threatened that Israel’s survival is contingent on his election win and political future. He said that the “whole place is going to get blown up” if he doesn’t win on November 5. He went further, saying Israel will be “annihilated” and “eradicated” and “destroyed” if he’s not the 47th president.

HARRIS-WALZ ON ISRAEL

There is a clear contrast between Donald Trump’s policies and Harris and Walz’s strong policies standing with the American Jewish community, including on Israel. If you are concerned about Israel, Harris/Walz is the clear choice.

Make sure your friends know the truth about Trump, Harris, Walz, and Vance. The stakes are incredibly high for Jewish Americans and for Israel. We cannot afford to lose in November. The more voters who know the facts, the better.

Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America