Middle East reacts to Trump victory in US election

Citizens in Israel and Palestine have offered mixed reactions to Donald Trump’s victory in the US Presidential Election amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“I think that many people here in the country are happy that Trump won in terms of security,” said Tel Aviv resident Asher Krispin, although he also believes that Trump will be “harder” on Israel.

Israeli-American citizen Martin Shwartz likened being in government to running a business, saying he believes Trump is a “good businessman.”

Trump “is someone that could take care of a business, so to speak,” Shwartz said.

Others think Trump’s win is a step in the right direction in the fight against anti-Semitism.

“Today Trump’s victory was also ours. It’s a victory for all the American people, for all the Israeli people, and it’s a victory that will silence anti-Semitism around the world,” Tel Aviv resident Ester Hadas said.

Among Palestinians, however, the mood is less positive.

“Trump’s victory signifies the continuation of bloodshed, and indicates that American policy has not changed; it will remain supportive of Israel,” said Naim Fawzi, a resident from the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

For many Palestinians, a change in president will do little to change the US position on Gaza.

“We always hope for a change in American policy, for a victory for human rights, a victory for the Palestinians,” Abdallah Abu Rahma, another Ramallah resident, said.

“But whether it’s Trump or Harris who wins, I believe that US policy toward Palestinians will remain the same,” he added.

What is Donald Trump’s position on the Middle East?

Although Trump vowed last week to ensure peace in the Middle East if he was elected, he has consistently positioned himself as a strong advocate for Israel.

During his first term, Trump pushed to remake the Middle East by reconciling Israel and Saudi Arabia. All eyes now are on how he handles the region’s ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Trump’s election win “history’s greatest comeback.”

“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America. This is a huge victory!” he wrote on social media.

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Trump and Netanyahu – a fellow conservative nationalist – had a tight relationship during the former president’s first term, but their ties soured when Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden for winning in 2020.

Following the October 7 Hamas attack, Trump pledged to bar refugees from Gaza and begin “ideological screening” for all immigrants who sympathise with the Palestinian militant group. He also vowed to expand his first-term Muslim travel ban.

Trump also slammed the pro-Palestine protests that took place across American university campuses, and has made clear his intention to stamp out any criticism of Israel.

“If you get me elected, and you should really be doing this … we’re going to set that movement [the pro-Palestine solidarity campaign] back 25 or 30 years,” he told Jewish donors at a roundtable event in New York earlier this year.

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