Not by the hands of God or man: Israel must prepare for a post-Trump America

An open letter from Zvika Klein, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, to US President Donald Trump revealed a growing bewilderment among Israelis regarding his recent shift on Iran. Klein expressed confusion over Trump's turnaround, pleading with him to remember that Israeli soldiers are on the front lines defending against Hezbollah. The letter highlighted a sense of betrayal and a dawning realization that Israel might face a challenging future in a post-Trump America.

While Trump has historically been a strong supporter of Israel, evidenced by actions like moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and brokering the Abraham Accords, the sudden push for a new Iran deal has caused alarm. The concessions in this new agreement are described as nearly identical to the Obama Administration's JCPOA, with added financial promises to Iran. Crucially, the deal does not demand Iran relinquish nuclear capabilities, halt ballistic missile production, or cease funding terror proxies, and it attempts to limit Israel's defensive actions against Hezbollah.

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This deal tells us to pull back from the one border where our soldiers are still dying.

The article suggests that Trump is not a messiah and that while he has been a good friend, the relationship may change. The author points to JD Vance's stance and the Senate's vote to curb Trump's powers in the Iran war as indicators of the Republican Party's future direction, which does not bode well for Israel. Vance's criticism of Netanyahu's coalition, stating Trump is the only head of state sympathetic to Israel, is interpreted as the vice president revealing the US's growing impatience with Israel.

This shift in US policy, coupled with global sentiment from Gaza to Iran, is seen as a frightening prospect, pushing for a return to a weaker, pre-Holocaust Jewish state. The potential for a fractured US-Israel alliance leaves Israel isolated on the world stage, a situation the article frames as a wake-up call for Israel and the Jewish people.

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Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.