Since the beginning of the war, I have been writing a lot about the progressive movement, and the danger it poses to the future of the free world.
In the US, however, there lurks an equally great danger to peace in the world, and to the safety of Israel as well, and its name is Donald Trump. Let's start with peace in the world, and with Trump's statement that some immigrants to the US are not human beings, but are "animals."
This is a familiar motif – marking enemies, who at some point are removed from the human family and defined as inhuman. Already in the 20s of the last century in Germany, an industry flourished that defined Germans with "physical and mental defects" as unfit to live. Trump's statement is significant, because the process of dehumanization is usually the infrastructure for the most extreme acts against a nation's own citizens, and then against external enemies.
In another statement in the same speech, Trump expected there to be a "bloodbath" if he lost the election. What happened on January 6, 2021 proved that this was not just talk – when his supporters broke into the Capitol building, protesting his loss. But more than that, it is important to understand that this is a well-known practice that usually foreshadows coups that give rise to autocratic regimes – creating the impression that if the candidate lost the election, the results were falsified (as Trump did claim). And if that happens, we will really would be in danger of drowning in a bloodbath. These two examples show why Trump is a clear and immediate danger to the US and world peace.
Israel still believes Trump is good for the Jews
In Israel the public still lives under the illusion that Trump is good for the Jews. In a recent Channel 12 survey, the question was asked, "Who would you like to see as president of the United States after the elections?" Some 44% of Israelis answered that they want Trump as president, compared to 30% who prefer Biden.
In the last two days, Trump has spoken several times directly about Israel and the Jews. To Netanyahu, he said "You have to finish up your war. You have to finish it up, you got to get it done."
He also claimed that he would have included Iran in the Abraham Accords, which brought normalization between Israel and some of the Gulf states. In such statements, Trump mentions the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was one of the main factors that brought the world into World War I. Wilhelm was an unpredictable man, a narcissist who despised the establishment, capricious and child-like. But unlike a child, he had a huge army and immense power at his disposal, as does Trump.
True, Trump did good in the Middle East, including in the Abraham Accords. But in the bottom line, he is a danger to Israel because he is a superficial and capricious person, whose behavior cannot be predicted. Trump will do what is good for Trump.
A superficial statement like "You need to end the war in Gaza now," which ignores the complex circumstances Israel is facing, may sound ridiculous at the moment. But if Trump is re-elected in November (and there is a significant chance that this will happen), such a statement could have dramatic and severe consequences for Israel – starting with stopping the supply of equipment and weapons, and ending with the lack of backing in international institutions. In such a case the Trumpist caprice, the interest behind which is not visible and raises questions, could create a real existential danger for Israel.
Another example: This week Trump said of American Jews who vote for the Democratic Party that they "every Jewish person who votes for the Democrats hates their religion. They hate Israel and they should be ashamed of themselves." If he is elected president for the second time, one can only imagine what will happen to our brothers and sisters in the United States, of whom 70%-80% traditionally support the Democratic Party.
Antisemitism in the US is already on the rise, and such a statement will only give it momentum. We as Israelis should prepare for all scenarios, but we certainly must not surrender to Trump in the childish hope that he will save us.