Trump Says Biden Has ‘Totally Abandoned Israel’

The comments came after Biden called for a 6-8 week ceasefire in Gaza

by Dave DeCamp April 10, 2024 at 3:28 pm ET 

CategoriesNewsTagsGaza, Israel

Former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that President Biden has “totally abandoned Israel” and said any Jewish Americans who vote for Democrats this November should “have their head examined.”

Trump has been critical of Israel for sharing images and videos of its destruction of Gaza, saying that’s why it’s losing public and international support. But Trump has also signaled he will strongly support the genocidal campaign against Palestinians in the Strip.

Trump’s latest comments on Israel came after an interview aired of President Biden calling for Israel to declare a unilateral six-to-eight-week ceasefire, appearing to break from his policy of linking any truce with a hostage deal.

Biden also said in the interview that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made a “mistake” in Gaza and that he didn’t agree with his approach. But Biden has been the biggest backer of Netanyahu’s campaign and continues to provide military aid to Israel.

It’s unclear if Biden’s call for a ceasefire will translate into a change in policy or a reduction of US military aid. Biden’s support for the slaughter in Gaza could cost him in November, as over 500,000 people have cast protest votes in the Democratic primaries by voting “uncommitted,” including in significant swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.

When he was president, Trump was extremely pro-Israel and carried out policies to support Israeli claims to occupied land, which all played a role in escalating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. His administration recognized the Golan Heights as Israeli territory and declared that illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law.

Trump’s administration moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and unveiled a so-called “peace plan” that would have seen Israel annex large swathes of the West Bank. Trump also brokered the Abraham Accords, deals that resulted in Israel normalizing ties with the UAE and Bahrain. Jared Kushner, who was Trump’s point man on Israel, recently said Gaza’s “waterfront property could be very valuable.”