Gransnet forums

News & politics

Why does Trump give so much support to Netanyahu and Israel

(222 Posts)
foxie48 Sun 08-Mar-26 15:16:53

First of all, this is not an anti-semitic post, I have no issues with the Jewish faith or with the people of Israel, I do , however, have huge issues with Netanyahu and his current government. Below is taken from today's Washington Post and outlines what Trump has agreed to during his first term and to date in his second term. IMO, the war being conducted in Iran ATM is basically to Netanyahu's and Israel's benefit, not really to the benefit of the US. So why does Trump act as he does? Surely it's not just to appease American Jews as it is alienating far more American voters?

"Through five years in the White House, Trump answered some of their biggest prayers. He moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and ripped up the Iran nuclear deal. U.N. funding for Palestinian refugees was gutted. Jewish settlers in the West Bank, once condemned by Washington, are now getting their own U.S. passport office."

Smileless2012 Tue 10-Mar-26 11:00:57

I think Brexit is irrelevant Iam. We are members of NATO and remain geographically part of Europe and are allies of the other European countries.

AGAA4 Tue 10-Mar-26 11:05:10

Trump has said 'The war is completely over, pretty much' and 'I have a plan and you'll be very happy'.

My six year old GS speaks more coherently than this.

Smileless2012 Tue 10-Mar-26 11:08:08

I know he shouldn't because this is such a dangerous situation but his inarticulation does make me laugh AGA.

Fallingstar Tue 10-Mar-26 11:10:28

I know is probably unreasonable but I can’t help blaming the MAGA supporters who voted for this imbecile. Is not just Trump’s fault, they voted for him. Which means a sizeable portion of US voters are capable of causing this kind of worldwide havoc.
I think we all need to rethink our relationship with this so called ally because Trump will go at the next election but his supporters aren’t going anywhere.

fancythat Tue 10-Mar-26 11:10:53

Smileless2012

I think Brexit is irrelevant Iam. We are members of NATO and remain geographically part of Europe and are allies of the other European countries.

I keep thinking that Cyrpus may have made an error in not becoming a NATO member.

Smileless2012 Tue 10-Mar-26 11:16:39

I think so too fancythat and I wonder if they are as well.

Oreo Tue 10-Mar-26 11:22:48

Iam64

I remain sympathetic to the genuine fears Israelis and Jewish people in the UK feel. Friends I. Our north Manchester Jewish community talk of Go Bags by their doors and feeling as they did in 1945, that Israel is the onky place they feel safe. They don’t all support Netenyahu but they do fear anti semitism

The world has never needed calm diplomacy more. Instead we have Trump and Netanyahu

Glad to hear that Iam64 but nobody else on here has even a smidgeon of sympathy, you only have to read the comments.

Oreo Tue 10-Mar-26 11:26:41

Fallingstar

I know is probably unreasonable but I can’t help blaming the MAGA supporters who voted for this imbecile. Is not just Trump’s fault, they voted for him. Which means a sizeable portion of US voters are capable of causing this kind of worldwide havoc.
I think we all need to rethink our relationship with this so called ally because Trump will go at the next election but his supporters aren’t going anywhere.

Yes, it’s very unreasonable, as anyone who supported him didn’t and doesn’t know everything that will happen.
It’s like blaming those who voted Labour for getting lame duck Starmer into power ( me!)
I had no idea how useless he would turn out to be.
The US is the most powerful ally that the West has.

Smileless2012 Tue 10-Mar-26 11:28:35

The US maybe the most powerful but with Trump as POTUS, it is no ally to the West.

Smileless2012 Tue 10-Mar-26 11:29:39

Netanyahu just doesn't seem to care for his own people Iam; only for himself.

Maremia Tue 10-Mar-26 13:18:57

Did JD Vance sound like an ally with his diatribe last year?

Beautyschooldropout Tue 10-Mar-26 13:28:17

Wyllow3

I was devastated when I realised that Fallingstar. My family had supported Jewish refugees after the war to the UK and eventually their - and my - idealism- around the "safe haven" was unrealistic. I think my Dad would have turned over in his grave had he known about Gaza. He'd actually joined with others in the Cable Street fights of 1936

(AI summary of Cable Street)
"The Battle of Cable Street (October 4, 1936) was a major violent clash in East London where local residents, largely Jewish and Irish, united with communists, socialists, and anarchists to stop a march by Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists (BUF). Over 100,000 residents successfully blocked the "Blackshirts" from marching through the Jewish East End"

"Reading the Past" with Dr Kat did a YouTube video about The Battle of Cable Street recently.

Plus it was a major while fictionalised plot point in Terry Pratchett's "Night Watch" novel.

GNU Sir pTerry.

Colls Tue 10-Mar-26 14:42:30

I can't answer the OP question, but like all his actions it will calculated to make him, personally richer in some way. Maybe he wanted to disrupt the world's energy prices, or just do something because he could for his rotten ego.
Or maybe like a raging, spoilt 4 year-old mid tantrum with indulgent parents, there is no reason. Or, as many say, to draw attention away from his past?
Whatever, the sooner he is no longer in the job, the better.

Beautyschooldropout Tue 10-Mar-26 14:46:39

ronib

Trump derangement syndrome having its day ….

Calling some-one out for ordering an illegal* or immoral** act is not a symptom of fictitious mental disease.

* Bombing Iran is illegal since it should have been authorised by Congress.

** Bombing innocent people is immoral regardless of the political party who authorised it.

AllyTrevally Tue 10-Mar-26 14:49:40

The Washington Post is left-leaning and anti-Trump. It’s like expecting the Telegraph to write glowingly about Starmer, forget it.

Trump is his own man and may change his mind tomorrow, get bored or wander off, who knows. This is not Israel’s War but the tiny country is surrounded by countries hostile to it who want to see it wiped out. If you were having rockets and missiles raining down on your home from Ireland and Scotland, you suffered a murderous incursion from Wales killing 1200 British civilians, would you support the Irish because of the Troubles and sympathise with the Scots? Hardly.

If you single out Netanyahu, it shows something about your political views. You can choose to say nothing because unless you have lived in the region, you have no idea.

WithNobsOnIt Tue 10-Mar-26 15:08:57

It's all a about Oil resources and being strategically well positioned with a country Middle East to grab it.

With that said you have said it all.

Iam64 Tue 10-Mar-26 15:12:35

I’m not influenced. Y the Washington Post but by my observations of Trump’s war mongering behaviour.

I’m sympathetic to the risks to Israel but loathe the way its current government t, ed by Netanyahu reacted to 7/10 by its attacks on Palestinian innocents. Your comparison with England under attack by the rest of the British Isles isn’t in any way comparable. Though when England and Northern Ireland was under attack by paramilitaries, we found talking more effective

meddijess Tue 10-Mar-26 16:26:56

I watched a documentary last year that suggested that (believe it or not) Trump is a born-again Christian, and the evangelicals in the US are convinced that the End of Days is coming - and it will start in Meggido, Israel. In other words, Armageddon. Apparently US citizens (non-Jewish) have bought up a lot of land, and thoroughly support Netenyahu's government. It made a lot of sense when I saw it.

DrWatson Tue 10-Mar-26 16:34:25

Well said Fallingstar - sound analysis. The anti-Semitic voices here confuse Judaism with the Israeli Govt, quite wrong. Was there a mass campaign round the world to attack Muslims, due to the repulsive activities of ISIL?? No, of course not. UK Jews (& I'm not religious, any badge) have repeatedly stated their oposition to Netanyahu - and indeed previous belligerent Israel leaders.

However, Silvergirl is more than a little misguided, with that "51st State", and "Most people from Israel who are interviewed on tv speak with American accents". Depending on the topic, if a foreign TV crew wants an opinion there, they'd need to find an English speaker (to be shown here in UK) -- and they of course are quite likely to have an American accent. They wouldn't bother to give you, Silver, a helpful note on the screen that they'd already asked 27 citizens, but they did NOT speak English, so got rejected?! The Israeli population comes from a wide variety of locations, a substantial subset are from Russia or former Soviet states.

From Wiki, (as per the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics), 49% of the population speaks Hebrew, 15% Russian, 18% Arabic, 20% French, 2% English, and 1.6 % Spanish. The other languages that are spoken in Israel are 10%. At present English language is taught in schools so that Israelis can communicate with the global world easily. However, another source says that up to 30% of Israelis speak English with 'some fluency', so that "2%" is presumably first language? Either way, that's a LONG way from "most people" and the impression that SG is trying to give?!

NB -- as with other comments on the topic, yes, Israel probably has info/film that shows Chump in a bad light, as Putin must also have (after the Orange Baboon's trips to Moscow trying to make hotel deals back in the day).

Milliedog Tue 10-Mar-26 16:40:31

I think Trump is supporting Netanyahu because of the threat of creeping fundamentalist Islamisation. If Hamas wins the war against Israel, there will be no Israel. Hamas' stated aim is to eliminate all Jews. Also, Hamas is being armed by Iran. Iran's human rights are appalling. So, as far as I can see, Israel isn't just fighting for it's own survival. It's fighting to preserve freedom for others, too. And I don't know about you, but I'd rather be an Arab living and working in Israel than a Jew living in any of the Arab countries..... I'm not an Israeli or Jewish, by the way.

foxie48 Tue 10-Mar-26 16:51:38

"If you single out Netanyahu, it shows something about your political views. You can choose to say nothing because unless you have lived in the region, you have no idea."

If I choose to single out Netanyahu, I'm in good company. He stays in power by having members of his government in key positions who have close ties with right wing terrorists. I don't support Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis and neither do I support those who support Ben Givr or Smotrich.
Ben-Gvir is an admirer of the late racist rabbi Meir Kahane, who founded the far-right Kach party which was labelled a terrorist organisation in 2008 having been banned from running in parliamentary elections. In 2007 he was convicted for incitement to racism and being a supporter of a terrorist organisation. He has been convicted eight times for offences that include racism and support for a terrorist organisation.
Smotrich also has a history of supporting illegal settlement in the West Bank and leads an right wing extremist group. Netanyahu has put both of these men in key government positions ie Israel’s minister for national security and minister of finance. The UK together with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway have put sanctions on both these men because they have “incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”. IMO I have every right to hold an opinion on these men and Netanyahu who allows these vile men, who incidentally lead very small parties, to make extremist policies and keep him in power.

Beautyschooldropout Tue 10-Mar-26 16:57:23

meddijess

I watched a documentary last year that suggested that (believe it or not) Trump is a born-again Christian, and the evangelicals in the US are convinced that the End of Days is coming - and it will start in Meggido, Israel. In other words, Armageddon. Apparently US citizens (non-Jewish) have bought up a lot of land, and thoroughly support Netenyahu's government. It made a lot of sense when I saw it.

I finally dumped Fakebook due to Meta pushing a lot of very evangelical AI posts into my feed.

There's a small but vocal sub-set of American people who truly believe that they are part of the Select who will get to head upwards and the rest of the world need to report to their local Handbasket Loading Station.

Anneeba Tue 10-Mar-26 17:14:35

His pal Putin now has a smile on his face too... All his oil is suddenly ok again for some countries. Disgusting. I hope we finally get to know what he has on Trump, must be something...

Mcbab Tue 10-Mar-26 18:37:25

ronib

Trump derangement syndrome having its day ….

It sure is. I know people, who are otherwise quite sane, who have literally been driven quite crazy by their TDS😉 ! Their reason goes out the window !

Oreo Tue 10-Mar-26 18:46:46

AllyTrevally

The Washington Post is left-leaning and anti-Trump. It’s like expecting the Telegraph to write glowingly about Starmer, forget it.

Trump is his own man and may change his mind tomorrow, get bored or wander off, who knows. This is not Israel’s War but the tiny country is surrounded by countries hostile to it who want to see it wiped out. If you were having rockets and missiles raining down on your home from Ireland and Scotland, you suffered a murderous incursion from Wales killing 1200 British civilians, would you support the Irish because of the Troubles and sympathise with the Scots? Hardly.

If you single out Netanyahu, it shows something about your political views. You can choose to say nothing because unless you have lived in the region, you have no idea.

Well said 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻