A CALL TO DEFEND: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF DONALD TRUMP’S SUPPORT OF ISRAEL

BY

ITAMAR S. LEWIN-ARUNDALE

A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Communication

May, 2021

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Approved By:

Michael J. Hyde, PhD, Advisor

Randall Rogan, PhD, Chair

Jarrod Atchison, PhD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It’s important to start my acknowledgements by saying that this thesis is merely a contribution to a longstanding work. My ancestors and family have given their lives to help defend against individuals that persecute Jews and for the existence of a Jewish state. A state dedicated to protecting my generation and their descendants from having to make the same sacrifice. This thesis is my response to a call passed down from generation to generation. One that pieced the ears of the Jews of Alexandria in 27 AD and the same one that pierced the night of broken glass as my grandmother watched Nazi’s destroy her father’s pet store in Berlin. This thesis is dedicated to the countless individuals who have already fought this battle and laid the groundwork for the call that I hear today. I could not be in the position I am in if I did not stand on their shoulders. That being said, there are many people that helped me with my contribution to this calling and each and every one deserves acknowledgement. I will try and do my best to include everyone but know that if your name is not explicitly mentioned you are much appreciated. First and foremost, Dr. Michael Hyde’s mentorship and guidance through my undergraduate and graduate experience at Wake Forest University has provided me with a world worth of skills and understanding no student should expect from any other professor. Dr. Hyde’s commitment to each student and his ability to expand their understanding of themselves and the way they communicate is awe inspiring. It takes a uniquely special individual to offer what Dr. Hyde provides students and it takes an even more uniquely special individual to pave cracks before students can fall through them. Dr. Hyde has a way of bringing students with him on an intellectual journey that even the most unwilling or uncurious student gets tangled in. I remember at the beginning of every course I took with Dr. Hyde he would say, “if you don’t want to get dirty then get out. This class is going to go deep and that will require work. If you aren’t ready then I suggest you leave now.” If getting dirty is the analogy than even the most reluctant student was filthy by the end of his courses. My experience with Dr. Hyde as a thesis advisor was no different. He helped me when I needed guidance and encouraged me when I was restless. He provided structure when I faltered and provided perspective when I failed to follow that structure. Thank you for the time you gave to this thesis on your own. Thank you for the time and hospitality you and Bobette gave to Sarah and I in your back yard. I can genuinely say I am a very lucky advisee. You are always going on about acknowledgement and its time you received some from me! The next individuals I have to thank for this thesis are Dr. Randall Rogan and Dr. Jarrod Atchison. Dr. Rogan, I missed out on the opportunity to work with you during my tenure as an undergraduate at Wake and that was a huge mistake. The insight you provide me with in and out of class has been a major contribution to the formulation of the arguments that this thesis is built off of, and for that I owe this thesis to you. More than once, your lectures or the casual conversations we have in the halls of Carswell have translated into the arguments present in my thesis. I believe it was your course that I initially learned about Tuvia Grossman, the subject of the case study in Chapter One. That is simply one

ii of many data points in this thesis that you taught me about or explained in a new way that allowed me to see something new. Israel has always been my passion and sharing that with someone in the department has been an invaluable resource. I thank you for the general dedication and care you put in teaching individuals about the Middle East and for all that you have specifically done in furthering my understanding. I should apologize to you for all the times I’ve made you late with hallway conversation. I also have to thank Dr. Atchison for being an early sounding board for my thesis ideas. You provided me with the rhetorical underpinnings necessary to engage in a thesis like this and helped me flesh out the direction I wanted my thesis to go in. In my first year of graduate studies, I spent time fleshing out what would eventually be my thesis with you. Although it evolved into something different than I initially structured, I appreciate your help getting me going. I also thoroughly enjoyed the lunches we had together and look forward to similar opportunities in the future. Many inhabitants of Carswell Hall that are not on this committee have contributed to my writing this thesis. Candice and Janice deserve a special thanks for being constant problem solvers. I don’t think I would have gotten through my first assignment let alone writing my thesis without your administrative and emotional assistance, and for that I am eternally grateful. I feel like in my second year of graduate school I was robbed of the time we spent dancing, laughing and storytelling in your office. Alessandra, although I only got to take one of your courses in graduate school, you have been a mentor and a role-model to me during my time at Wake Forest (I think my undergraduate course history makes up for it!) You were my entrance into the fruitful world of rhetoric and gave me the skillset and classical knowledge I needed to succeed. You have always found value in my thought process and pushed me to make my argumentation strategies clearer and more effective. Your passion for taking action and encouraging individuals to go manifest the change they would like to see had a lasting impact on me, my thesis, and my call. On top of that, you have always acknowledged my presence in the department and made me feel like it was my home. I would not have had the interest or courage in returning if you were not a part of the department and for that I can’t thank you enough. I hope to continue having you as a mentor and am lucky to have had the opportunity to be affected by your passion. To Dr. Louden and Glacier, graduate school would have been tough without you. Thanks for being the smiling face I could always count on when I needed it. Graduate school can be challenging, and our thought-provoking conversations (both Dr. Louden and Glacier) helped me sift through the hardest of times and have left me with insight I will carry through life. Thank you for opening your home to me and my fellow graduate students and providing us with the reassuring warm presence every stressed graduate student seeks. It takes a truly special person to devote the amount of time and effort you put into students. Despite the fact that I’ve only taken one of your classes, I feel like I got the full experience. For all the deck conversations, scholarly guidance, and good company I am truly grateful. Speaking of companionship, my friends are a large part of my mental stability. I have to thank Rayvon for pushing me to pursue further education in communication. Since

iii meeting you, you have radiated positivity, pushed me to do great things, and been there to watch as I do it. I could not have gotten through year one without having you as my roommate and year two without having you as my sounding board. I also have to thank Sydney for being an amazing companion throughout my graduate experience. When I needed to vent, to laugh, or to just chill you have been there. Meeting you has been one of the greatest things over the past two years and the development of our friendship makes me excited for the future. Additionally, I appreciate the opportunity graduate school provided for meeting and spending time with people like Kristen, David, and many more. To Razi, the emotional and intellectual support you’ve provided over video chat has been some of the most time consuming, but also reward experiences during quarantine. Our talks never cease to be hours long and I enjoy every minute. I couldn’t imagine having done it without you. To Uri, River, the Matcha Boys, and the rest of my close friends, thank you for being there when I needed to relieve stress or vent. To my girlfriend, Sarah, you have been the most encouraging supportive brightness that I needed in life, but more specifically to complete graduate school. Since meeting you, you have been there for every bump on the road and are the first to think of ways around them. You provided me with intangible support like companionship when times were tough and tangible support like edits throughout the process because writing is always tough. You are truly my number one fan and I not only hear you say it, but see it in your actions. When I am stressed about a task you are the first to attempt to alleviate it in some way and for that I think you single handedly kept me going. Although being told that we are dating in front of a room of people was not the way I would have thought we’d start our relationship, starting it has been the highlight of the past few years and I can’t imagine having done something like this without you by my side. Lastly but certainly not least my family. I am a Mama’s boy through and through and I have to thank my mom for being there for me. I may be the only 24-year-old proud of saying I call my mom almost every day. You are encouraging, warm, understanding, motivating, and thought provoking. I’d be lost without you. To my step-father Henry, you have been one of the strongest influencers on how I communicate and for that I am thankful. My ability to socialize and relate to others and my self-confidence comes from you. I would have never been in this position without your influence, support, and guidance. You are an amazing role model worth striving to emulate. I am thankful for my father Daniel. You are my inspiration and I am forever grateful for all you’ve done for me. Aside from being the subject of a large portion of my thesis, your actions have had a great impact on the way I live life and pursue goals. Your influence has led me to be the person that is receiving this MA. Finally, my siblings. Eitan, I talk to you almost every day and throughout every day. You are both my best friend and my confidant. I trust you with everything and spent a lot of time vetting thesis ideas through you. Without your companionship and editing this work would have been challenging. Will, your constant humor and jocularity has helped keep my spirits high. I’m proud of the person you are becoming and although young, your moral values teach me a lot about the world. I appreciate the time and effort you have put into me during my time as a graduate student.

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I think a quote from the father of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, is fitting to end this section- “If you will it, it is no dream; and if you do not will it, a dream it is and a dream it will stay.”

Thank you to everyone who made this dream happen.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Illustrations………………………………………………………………vii.

Abstract……………………………………………………………………...….viii.

Chapter 1: Introduction…………...…………………………………...... …….1.

Chapter 2: Background and History…………………………………………….20.

Chapter 3: Trump and the Call…………………………………………………..41.

Chapter 4: Conclusion…………………………………………………………...66.

Bibliography……………………………...……………………………………..72.

Curriculum Vitae………………………………………………………....……..79.

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List of Illustrations

Chapter 1:

Figure 1 “Here Is the Truth ,” " Police beats Palestinian "………………………………... 4

Chapter 2:

Figure 2. Plan of Partition of Palestine…………………………………………………..35

Figure 3. "Territories Occupied by Israel Since June 1967 - Map (11 June 1997)." ……36

Figure 4. "The Alon Plan."………………………………………………………………37

Figure 5. "Maps of the Palestinian Territories: Oslo II."………………………………...39

Chapter 3:

Figure 6. Peace to Prosperity…………………………………………………………….45

Figure 7. The Proud Boys on Telegram……………………………………………….…54

Figure 8. Scenes From the Deadly Unrest in Charlottesville…………………………….63

Figure 9. Scenes From the Deadly Unrest in Charlottesville…………………………….64

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ABSTRACT

Donald Trump’s policy as president espoused some of the most radically pro-Israel sentiment any administration has pushed and led to the recognition of the Golan Heights, the movement of Israel’s capitol to Jerusalem, and the brokerage of recognition and relationship-building between Israel and the UAE and Israel and Bahrain. Ostensibly, these actions look strictly beneficial but going forward conflating pro-Israel sentiment with political movements that also embolden white supremacists will have lasting implications on continued U.S. support. This thesis presents an in-depth analysis of a communication event that pervades everyday human interaction : the call. This phenomenon has had a profound impact on my lived experience and has fueled my determination and drive toward parsing narratives about Israel and fixing the lasting damage the Trump administration has had on the American pro-Israel constituency.

Keywords : Israel, Donald Trump, The Call, Peace to Prosperity, Settlements, Foreign Policy

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

This thesis presents an in-depth analysis of a communication event that pervades everyday human interaction : the call. This event has had a profound impact on my lived experience and has fueled my determination and drive toward defending Israel. The present chapter provides necessary background material for appreciating the purpose and progression of my project.

The Call Defined The call is used broadly and across many different situations, closely linked by the communicative exchange between two entities necessary for a call and a response. The most common sense understanding of the call is displayed, for example, when one person tells another that “I will call you tonight so we can talk about our business meeting.” The call enables people to get and stay in touch with others. And with the help of such technological devices as email and cell phones, people can “reach out and touch somebody” and be “on call” for others twenty-four hours a day. Thinking about the call in this way has a role to play in my study, as do the many aspects of the call that remain unacknowledged by this common sense understanding of an essential feature of human existence. Briefly stated, here are some of the key features of the call that will be discussed in my study.

The act of calling is an act of “saying.” To say something involves showing and

letting something be seen. The call thus functions discursively: It has the formal

structure of “discourse,” which is a mode of disclosure in which something is said,

pointed out, revealed, and shared. The mere presence of a thing’s existence sounds a

call; for this presence is a showing, a disclosing and revealing of the givenness, the bare

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“that it is” of the thing’s really being present here and now. The philosopher Jean-Louis

Chretien’s way of making the point is captivating: “Our eyes are able to watch over the

call that rises from things and truly see things only because they have heard it.” 1 A tall

wooden structure bearing limbs and leaves stands before us. Its presence calls. Hearing

this call, the poet Joyce Kilmer famously replied: “I think that I shall never see a poem

as lovely as a tree.” 2 Theodore Rousseau saw leaves shimmering on a tree and called out

“Isn’t that romantic.” 3 And a movement was started that took one back to nature. Calls

invite responses, which emerge as people engage in the activity of witnessing,

interpreting, and expressing in meaningful ways whatever calls for their attention and

thereby beckons us to be in touch and stay in touch with the presence of a thing’s

existence. As demonstrated in the words of Kilmer and Rousseau, the call addresses our

emotional capacity to be moved, to feel and have a heart for, and thus be touched by

what is other than ourselves and in need of acknowledgment. The call’s ability to incite

individuals to action can be touching and horrifying at the same time. A psychopath is

called to inflict pain the same way a police man or a soldier are called to protect the

people. Nazis experience a call to purge the world of what they see as filth in the same

way that many hear a call to purge the world of Nazis. The call permeates the fabric of

human existence and therefore penetrates the likes of both good and evil.

1. Chrétien Jean-Louis, The Call and the Response (New York: Fordham University Press, 2004), 83.

2. Joyce Kilmer, “Trees,” Poetry: A Magazine of Verse (1913): 160.

3. Theodore Rousseau, Selections from His Writing (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979), 61.

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The Call and Jewish Experience

This duality of the call can be exemplified through the resounding experience of a young American Jew, Tuvia Grossman, visiting Israel and walking to the temple mount.

Tuvia’s visit coincided with the second intifada, Arabic for shudder or tremor, a period of specifically high tension between Palestinians and Israelis and a key event in recent

Israeli history. Initial civil unrest was sparked by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon visiting the Temple Mount, a Jewish and Islamic religious center and area of focused contention. A campaign of terror ensued including bus bombings, knife attacks, shootings, and rock throwing, most of which were directed at uninvolved Israeli citizens and young teenagers forced to join the military. 4 During this clash Tuvia was assaulted en-route to the Western Wall by a group of Palestinians and was brutally injured. An

Israeli soldier witnessed the young American being beaten and quickly responded saving

Tuvia’s life. The images below show Tuvia’s injuries and the soldier dispersing the attackers while saving Tuvia.

4. Said Aly Abdel Monem, Shai Feldman, and Khalil Shikaki, in Arabs and Israelis: Conflict and Peacemaking in the Middle East (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), 361-396.

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Figure 1. “Here Is the Truth ,” " Police beats Palestinian ", n.d., http://www.yashanet.com/anti-semitism/mad/police_beats_palestinian.htm .

The images of Tuvia were quickly picked up by major news organizations, such as The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and The Associated Press , but during transmission the message was warped.5 Articles titled the image as “An Israeli policeman and a Palestinian on the temple mount.” 6 The image of a bloodied individual called journalists to question Israel and defend Palestinians, a conclusion drawn exclusively from the visual cues contained in the images.

To a more discerning eye, the image s tell a different story. The individual is not at the temple mount but a nearby gas station. The individual who was beaten is not a

Palestinian boy but a Jewish one. The angry individual is not a policeman but a soldier.

5. “Corrections,” The New York Times (The New York Times, October 4, 2000), https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/04/nyregion/c-corrections-480142.html ; “Do Pictures Always Tell the Truth,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA, September 30, 2000), https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFA- Archive/2000/Pages/Do%20pictures%20always%20tell%20the%20truth.aspx .; “Additional AP Corrections ,” CAMERA, January 1, 2000, https://www.camera.org/article/additional-ap-corrections/.

6. Ibid.

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The soldier was not the instigator but the de-escalator. Almost every facet of the image was misconstrued, which begs the question: Why was the picture interpreted to paint

Israel negatively? When the image was initially presented it compelled individuals toward interpretation. The image of a child bloodied is powerful and calls for action. To the morally sound, this tragedy should not be happening in the world. Journalists covering the story felt a need to spin it in a way that construed a message consistent with their beliefs. The fact that the image of a bloodied middle-eastern looking adolescent boy and an angry soldier can be interpreted both for and against Israeli military action demonstrates the dangerous duality of something that calls this strongly. Duality will be a focal point in the latter chapters of this thesis.

The Necessity for Response

More important than the literal visual meaning of the image is how and why

individuals were affected by their respective calls to change what is depicted in the

image. In basic form, the image is calling for attention and awaiting a response. The

necessity for the response starts with interest in the conflict. Depending on your

perspective, the image can tell different stories. The need to fit the image to a

preconceived narrative is the common ground, as are a young man being bloodied and

an angry individual. What causes the image to call is not simply the content, but

familiarity and investment in the subject. At the heart of the image’s ability to reach

individuals is the call’s rhetorical function: its eloquence, its employment of the “right”

symbolism, in the “right” way, and at the “right” time so to be worthy of a person’s

attention. A person sustains the value of the call with their association about its effects

5 on their life. To an anti-Semite, the image speaks wonders toward furthering hatred toward Jews. To the Jew, the image can serve as a call to defend Jewish children from anti-Semitic actions, even within Israel or in the media. The success of the call is fundamentally dependent on its rhetorical competence and whatever degree of eloquence can be put into practice. Call, response, call, response, call, response . . . . The value of a thing’s presence, its meaning and truth, is determined and sustained throughout time with the happening of this communication event, an ongoing experience of people being affected by and identifying with the meaning and significance of the presence of things.

In this way, the power and influence of calls take form, be it nasty or beautiful.

Importantly, our ability to perceive and create these calls is made possible by a more fundamental quality of the call that lies at the heart of the spatial and temporal fabric of human existence and that we are thus in touch with every second of our lives.

This call is to explore the unknown, to expand knowledge and reduce uncertainty. The future calls human beings to demonstrate responsibility in being open to, acknowledging, and communicating with others and improving. In doing so, striving as perfectly as possible to communicate the truth of the presence of things that call for attention and acknowledgment. If people are to remain ethically and morally responsible while responding to this call, they must be prepared and willing at any moment to question the supposed correctness of what they are thinking and doing. The constancy of the call demands as much with its objective uncertainty, for it speaks to how human beings are forever open to the possibility of change, of things being otherwise than usual, of how what is yet to come in our lives may require people, for truth’s sake, to rethink and revise what they currently hold to be correct about their circumstances,

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involvements, and interpretive practices. Tuvia’s image calls in both directions. It is up

to the witness to then parse meaning from the exigence of the call. The constancy of the

call is forever calling into question and thus interrupting our decisive ways of being in

the world.

Responding to this call is the original calling (vocation) of human beings—a

calling that is motivated by a passionate longing for some degree of meaning, order, and

perfection in our lives. In Tuvia’s case, the notion that children shouldn’t be bloodied

and beaten calls for intervention. Events like what happened to Tuvia are dissonant with

our desire for the world to be orderly , thus calling us to act toward order. This is my

example of responding to the call’s objective uncertainty, its constant questioning and

interruption, and the unease that manifests itself when, not knowing what is to come in

our lives, we experience the discomforting and potentially dreadful emotion of anxiety.

Limitless Light

In Kabballah, or Jewish mysticism, there is a notion of Ohr Ein Sof , literally translated as Limitless Light. Rabbi Isaac Luriah, a sixteenth century Kabbalistic teacher , posits that the universe existed as limitless light until creation. In this pre-creation period, only God existed in the form of light. God is perfect and the light was limitless, therefore everything was perfect or ordered. For the universe as we know it to exist, God had to contract his limitless light and leave space for his creations. In a reality entirely full of light, for anything besides light to exist, there must be a self-effacement. This space left behind in the contraction of limitless light is the universe as we know it today, otherwise known as the Olam Tohu - Chaotic world. In contrast to perfectly ordered Limitless Light,

7 the space left behind by the contraction was disorderly and imperfect. This is where human beings come in to the equation. Rabbi Luriah explains, upon contraction the light was concentrated and pushed into a different realm of existence, shining down on our realm of existence as a concentrated beam of light. It acts as God’s beacon signaling humanity to follow in his footsteps toward the order of limitless light.7 In Genesis 17:1

God says, “I am the almighty God. Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” 8 This ideology suggests that individuals inherently have a duty to fix the world, Tikun Olam, and strive toward the state of order the limitless light represents. Straying away from this path can be likened to the feeling of anxiety, a feeling we get when things are trending away from order. One could then say that anxiety and uncertainty were born during God’s self- effacement and our duty is to sift through the chaos and strive to follow the beam of light or the order the beam of light represents.

The story of Jacob from the Torah illustrates the concept of anxiety and Limitless

Light efficiently. Jacob wrestled with an angel all night after which he was given a

blessing and named the successor of God’s people. His name was changed to Israel, and

fate was forever changed. Perhaps Jacob was chosen by God to father his nation because

of the tenacity and perseverance Jacob demonstrated. Through nefarious means, Jacob

wanted his father’s first-born rights, and took them from his brother Essau. He then was

confronted by an angel, and sustained injury all night wrestling and fighting. Jacob was

tested and placed into a state of anxiety. Only after Jacob showed he would not give up

7. Rivka Schatz-Uffenheimer, “Isaac Ben Solomon Luria,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., August 1, 2020), https://www.britannica.com/biography/Isaac-ben-Solomon-Luria.

,Mamre, accessed October 12, 2020 ”,בְּרֵ אשִׁ ית Genesis Chapter 17“ .8 https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0117.htm.

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does the angel decide to touch him and change his name to Israel. 9 The whole premise of

the first books of the Torah are predicated on the “children of Israel” traveling to the

land of Canaan (where the Canaanites had resided). God commanded the Israelites to go

to the land of Canaan so they could create a place for themselves, one where they could

pursue the values Jacob passed down unto them and attempt to bring the universe back

toward order, in the Jewish sense of limitless light.

The process of seeking order and limitless light can be likened to the construction of an amicable reality or dwelling place. Reducing the likelihood of stories similar to

Tuvia’s from occurring in the future provides such a chance. Believing that Tuvia is a

Palestinian individual is incorrect and brings the world away from order. Individuals should try and be called by the uncertainty of Tuvia’s image and choose to take it upon themselves to uncover reality and work toward truth. I want to make the dwelling place and communities that I dwell in, for example the United States of America, a place in which people ask questions about the origin of information and seek the truth.

Here I Am!

My experience with the call has been predominantly between myself and a higher

power. I am not specifically religious; in fact, those that know me may classify me as the

opposite. Nonetheless, my experience with being called to the defense of one of my

dwelling places, my ancestors’ country, and their forefathers’ country is one undeniably

founded in moral and spiritual grounds. Despite the fact that I stand firmly in my

,Mamre, accessed October 1, 2020 ”,בְּרֵ אשִׁ ית Genesis Chapter 32“ .9 https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0132.htm.

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unreligious practice, I believe the Torah (the first five books in the bible) is still an

invaluable source of wisdom. The phenomenon of a call is familiar to those well versed

in bible studies. Beginning in Genesis 22, God calls to Abraham and he responds “I am

in Hebrew.) 10 This word is used eight times in the entire Torah and at each נִי הִ נֵּ ) ”here

instance an individual is calling out in hopes of inspiring confidence in the interlocutor: I

am present, listening, available, ready, trustworthy and much more. Throughout this

thesis I intend to utilize my religious education to provide examples of the call that

elucidate the phenomenon being discussed, much like the exegesis that occurred

previously in this chapter. In no way do any of the logical developments used to describe

the call require one to be religious, but rather serve as illustrations to assist

communicating the concept at hand.

The call goes far beyond just a religious anecdote or interpersonal exchange. For the environmentalist, seeing humans destroy and take advantage of the earth is actively uncomfortable. An environmentalist feels nature’s call and responds by acting to save the environment: recycling, advocating, teaching and more. For the scientist, the unknown calls. The unknown areas of human understanding rouse scientists’ ambition and draws them to explore the gap in science through meticulous empirical and mathematical analyses. For the musician, music calls. A musician is called to the music and happily spends life in between the bars. My call is to the defense of Israel and I want to spend my life correcting something I feel is dissonant in the world—the general conception of Jews and The State of Israel.

,Mamre, accessed October 2, 2020 ”,בְּרֵ אשִׁ ית Genesis Chapter 22“ .10 https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0122.htm .

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My call comes at a time of specific importance for Jews to combat anti-Semitic narratives, especially in the United States. This country is experiencing a time-period of palpable growth for alt-right groups such as the proud boys and other alt-right neo-Nazi fascists that regularly spew anti-Semitic ideology. For example, the Proud Boys are classified by the FBI as extremists with White-Nationalist ties. 11 The founder, Gavin

McInnes, posted a video in 2017 detailing 10 things he hates about Jews. 12 On September

29, 2020, during the first presidential debate, Donald Trump was asked, “Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacist and militia groups, and to say that they need to stand down and not add to a number of violence in cities like we’ve seen in Kenosha and

Portland?” To which Trump responded, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left because this is not a right-wing problem this is a left wing [problem].” 13 Unpacking this statement and

Trump’s position in Israeli-American discourse will be explored further in chapter 3 but my call comes at a time of unique importance.

11. Eli Rosenberg, “ FBI Considers Proud Boys Extremists with White-Nationalist Ties, Law Enforcement Officials Say, ” The Washington Post (WP Company, November 20, 2018), https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/20/fbi-says-proud-boys- have-white-nationalist-ties-law-enforcement-officials-say/ .

12. Katherine Fung, “ Proud Boys Founder Recorded Video Titled ‘10 Things I Hate about the Jews’ in 2017 ,” Newsweek (Newsweek, September 30, 2020), https://www.newsweek.com/proud-boys-founder-recorded-video-titled-10-things-i-hate- about-jews-2017-1535300 .

13. “Donald Trump & Joe Biden 1st Presidential Debate Transcript 2020 ,” Rev, September 30, 2020, https://www.rev.com/blog/transcripts/donald-trump-joe-biden-1st- presidential-debate-transcript-2020.

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Many works have been influential in shaping my understanding of who I am and why I am here. Of specific importance to my conception of the Call in relation to Israel are the works of Amos Oz. In his book How to Cure a Fanatic, he tells of a proverb that to this day resonates deeply with me. He explains, if there is a fire then we must do whatever we can to put out that fire, even if our only instrument to shovel water is a teaspoon. 14 I was born into this fire and my entire life I have felt a draw to the teaspoon while my peers watch the fire rampage onward. My call to parse Palestinian and Israeli narratives is one focused on changing how individuals approach the conflict.

Communication and eloquence are my instruments, albeit sometimes just a teaspoon.

Hopefully one day my teaspoon may grow and eventually become a firehose.

A Fire In My Life

What is the fire I allude to? It is worth mentioning not only because I think it is important to understand the background of the rhetor in any situation, but also because it gravely impacted my formation as an intellectual and human being. By doing so it had a large role in shaping the call this examination is focused on.

I was born in Haifa, a city near the Mediterranean coast of Israel. My family had been living there for some time and I received my citizenship to Israel despite the fact that at two and a half weeks old my parents decided to move our family to the United

States. Simply being born into a war-torn country is the first flame of my fire. We visited this country often and I remember seeing gasmasks, tanks and weaponry—something highly unfamiliar to my experience in Boston, Massachusetts. As I grew up in Brookline,

14. Amos Oz, How to Cure a Fanatic (London: Vintage, 2012).

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I remember attending social gatherings with my friends from other schools who would question Israel’s actions. “Don’t you feel as though Israel is reacting with extreme force?” “Israel is an apartheid state, what gives you the right to expel the inhabitants of the land there?” My answer was always the same, “I disagree and I think you would if you had been there. I will happily have this conversation with you but the truth is that until you physically experience the country, your opinion is simply hearsay.” I found those remarks particularly interesting because my experience of Israel was quite the opposite. I saw happiness, wonder, depth, community, meaning, and spirituality. My experience of Israel was different from what others gleaned through the television.

Living in the dissociation between the picture painted by the media and my actual lived experience was and still is painful. Israel, my family’s heritage, the only place Jews can truly feel safe , is constantly being questioned. The most valued and ancient physical dwelling place that ties the Jewish people together is constantly at risk of being torn away. All over the world criticism pours in from every direction while Jews are required to justify their inhabitance in a location that has been Jewish for thousands of years. That is the Jewish burden. Despite that reality, criticism is not unilaterally bad. In fact, in the rabbinic tradition questions are welcomed. There is a well-known joke that goes, “ask two Jews, get three opinions.” Fundamentally embedded in the Jewish tradition is the notion that questions are good. If something is challenged, it must be addressed. The exigence is calling out “Where art thou?” to which the individual responds “Here I am,

Reconciling negative narratives about Jews and the Jewish state is part of creating ”.הִ נֵּנִי my dwelling place ( makom in hebrew) and finding my world of meaning. Crucially important for Jewish philosophy is the notion that individuals should spend life crafting

13 the Olam Hazeh (Current life) and those who are righteous will have their place in the

Olam Habah (Coming life). In pursuit of a better Olam Hazeh I want to take hold of anti-

Semitic narratives about Israel and reshape progressive ideology in the United States to support and understand the Jewish state and tradition.

My dad’s story provides the kindling for the second part of the fire into which I was born. The reason my family wanted to move to the states was for my father to pursue a Ph.D. at MIT. He instead dropped out and started a company with his professor which eventually became Akamai Technologies, a tech company acquiring its share of the ever- expanding cyber security field. When I was in kindergarten my father was murdered on

9/11 by a Saudi law student, Satam Al-Suqami, an Al-Qaeda terrorist who slit his throat with a boxcutter on Flight 11. He attempted to fight back when the terrorists high-jacked the plane and was blindsided by Al-Suqami from behind. This information was transmitted by the flight attendant who was able to call authorities from the plane and explain what was happening. When my father saw injustice, especially at the hands of terrorists, he responded. He heard a call, so intense that he sprung to action and fought with his life to protect the plane.

To the uninformed reader, the connection between my father’s actions and my defense of Israel can seem somewhat spurious at times. One occurred in the United States and was an attack on the World Trade Center and the other is centered around a tiny desert strip beside the Mediterranean. They are, nevertheless, quite related. The connection lies in the language and the purpose of the attacks. In 1998, Al-Qaeda officers, including the three officers responsible for planning the 9/11 attacks, released a

14 statement on behalf of the world Islamic front titled Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders.

In it they explain:

No one argues today about three facts that are known to everyone; we will list

them, in order to remind everyone: First, for over seven years the United States

has been occupying the lands of Islam in the holiest of places, the Arabian

Peninsula, plundering its riches, dictating to its rulers, humiliating its people,

terrorizing its neighbors, and turning its bases in the Peninsula into a spearhead

through which to fight the neighboring Muslim peoples.

The document explains that this is evident through the ongoing conflict in Iraq between militant groups and the U.S. government. It continues :

Second, despite the great devastation inflicted on the Iraqi people by the crusader-

Zionist alliance, and despite the huge number of those killed, which has exceeded

1 million… despite all this, the Americans are once again trying to repeat the

horrific massacres, as though they are not content with the protracted blockade

imposed after the ferocious war or the fragmentation and devastation… . Third, if

the Americans’ aim behind these wars are religious and economic, the aim is also

to serve the Jews petty state and divert attention from its occupation of Jerusalem

and murder of Muslims there. The best proof of this is their eagerness to destroy

Iraq, the strongest neighboring Arab state, and their endeavor to fragment all the

states of the region such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sudan into paper

statelets and through their disunion and weakness to guarantee Israel’s survival

and the continuation of the brutal crusade and occupation of the Peninsula.

15

The document continues,

On that basis, and in compliance with Allah’s order, we issue the following fatwa

to all Muslims: The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies – civilians and

military – is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in

which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy

mosque [Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all

the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. This is in

accordance with the words of Almighty Allah, "and fight the pagans all together

as they fight you all together," and "fight them until there is no more tumult or

oppression, and there prevail (SIC.) justice and faith in Allah.15

Despite the title explicitly stating Jews, the content of the grievances within the statement are predominantly focused on America. The statement by Al-Qaeda explicitly states that they view American presence in the region as part of an alliance with Zionists to invade “Muslim land.” American influence in the region is aimed at diverting attention from Jewish occupation of Israel and is therefore part of a larger plot against Muslim people for Zionists to invade the region. Finally, Al-Qaeda explicitly state s that they want

Muslims across the globe to kill Americans and their allies, most obviously including the

State of Israel. The connection between Israel and 9/11 is often overlooked, but in actuality it was the culmination of the call made three years earlier by senior Al-Qaeda officials necessitating the brutal killing of American and Israeli civilians to combat their

15. “Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front Statement ,” World Islamic Front Statement Urging Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, accessed October 2, 2020, https://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm.

16 unified “invasion” of Muslim land. This statement illuminates the connection between

Jews, America , and 9/11 by showing the reasoning used to call for the attacks. This sentiment is not only espoused by Al Qaeda. Many other radical groups such as

Hezbollah, Hamas and countless other terrorist organizations also word their charters similarly.16 The fact of the matter is both Israel and America are westernized countries involved in the Middle East and therefore are seen as part of the same problem. As both an American and an Israeli, I feel a strong call to combat the notion that Israel and

America are working together in a nefarious grand scheme to control the Middle East.

My education has allowed me to pursue what has become a lifelong call: to protect my people and look over their well-being. In God’s covenant with Abraham, we read “'Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceedingly great… Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be.'”17 I am called to the defense of that promise and intend to see that covenant through to the best of my abilities. As a student in communication and history my education has allowed a unique perspective on the call, utilizing previous statements, treatises and agreements to elucidate reality. This work will be done in conjunction with a litany of historical artifacts ranging from biblical to modern, similar to

16. “The Hezbollah Program ,” The program of the Hezbollah (Hizbollah) 1985, accessed October 2, 2020, https://zionism-israel.com/hdoc/Hezbollah_Charter.htm ; “ THE CHARTER OF ALLAH: THE PLATFORM OF THE ISLAMIC RESISTANCE MOVEMENT (HAMAS) ,” Federation Of American Scientists – Science for a safer, more informed world., accessed October 2, 2020, https://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/880818.htm .

,Mamre, accessed October 2, 2020 ”,בְּרֵ אשִׁ ית Genesis Chapter 15“ .17 https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0115.htm .

17 the Jihad against Jews and Crusaders in form, and that will enhance the illustration of

Israel’s position.

The importance of this call, altering how individuals perceive Israel, specifically within the United States, can’t be understated. Israel receives a massive portion of its defense budget in military aid from the United States and is reliant on that relationship for its survival. In 2017 it received 3.1 billion dollars of military aid. Additionally, the

U.S. is the only true blockade and advocate for Israel in the United Nations. Since the genesis of the State of Israel there has been over 700 United Nations General Assembly resolutions and over 100 United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Israel. 18

This number far exceeds any other country in the world, including Iran, Iraq, Syria, North

Korea, China, Russia, and Turkey, many of which have violated countless human rights violations. Evidently, there is a scrutinizing presence above Israel that voices complaints through the United Nations at an alarming rate comparatively to other countries engaging in overt Geneva Convention violations. Similarly, within the United States there is a growing discontent with Israel and its right to exist. To make matters more complex, the pro-Israel stance has been adopted by and therefore conflated with former President

Donald Trump. His Peace to Prosperity Plan, recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol, recognition of the Golan Heights, and brokerage of peace with Bahrain and the United

Arab Emirates are arguably the most pro-Israel policies any president has ever espoused.

18. “Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People - Non-UN Document - Question of Palestine ,” United Nations (United Nations), accessed October 2, 2020, https://www.un.org/unispal/document/peace-to- prosperity-a-vision-to-improve-the-lives-of-the-palestinian-and-israeli-people-us- government-peace-plan/ .

18

For that same individual to then tarnish his name by harkening to white supremacists in various speeches and actions, such as the “stand by” reference in the 2020 Presidential debate, or the “Very fine people on both sides” statement about Charlottesville sullies beneficial pro-Israel movements by association.19 The very individual that supports radically important pro-Israel sentiments is the very same person that empowers groups that want Jews dead. The conundrum of support for Israel being espoused by pro-white supremacist individuals necessitates a reconstruction of what it means to communicate support for Israel.

Chapters

In the next chapter I offer an overview of the relevant documents and historical events necessary in understanding Trump’s policies and the implications they carry. I hope to provide the background necessary to discuss why Donald Trump’s pro-Israel sentiments are detrimental to American and Israeli Jewry. Chapter three focuses on how modern American support for Israel is being conflated with Trumpism and the various associations alt-right support of pro-Israel sentiments has on pro-Israel ideology within the United States. Chapter four concludes my study on a lifelong call to alter what contributes to individuals’ perceptions of Israel and how individuals can safeguard support for Israel from alt-right association.

19. Glenn Kessler, “ Analysis | The 'Very Fine People' at Charlottesville: Who Were They?, ” The Washington Post (WP Company, May 10, 2020), https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/08/very-fine-people-charlottesville- who-were-they-2/ .

19

CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND

Beginning with the early period of Israel’s inception through the presidency of

Barack Obama, the United States and Israel have experienced the gamut of relational and political woes. This chapter will progress through the history of American Israeli relations and identify the key points required to fully understand the impact of the Israel- focused policy Trump promoted. Chapter three will then discuss why Trump’s Pro-Israeli actions are a detriment to the preservation of the Jewish people.

Contextualizing U.S. Relations

Britain was the original main sponsor for the Jewish State. In 1917, the Balfour

Declaration was the first founding document promising a Jewish state, made in response to the brutal pogroms and Albert Dreyfus’s exposure of European institutional antisemitism. During the period of nation building, following the Balfour Declaration,

Israel received support from countries all over the world as Jews came in throngs seeking refuge from the Holocaust. The day after the formal creation of the Israeli state in 1948

Israel was surprise attacked by four neighboring countries. Israel sought to make allies immediately as the Israeli Defense Force was merely a budding organization. This situation led to the first major American-Israeli dispute.

In Israel, the Independence-Day War is remembered as an unlikely victory of under-supplied and outnumbered soldiers fighting out of their own homes for their families lives. Despite the Truman administration’s historically staunch pro-Israel sentiment, after the initial declaration of war the Truman administration enacted the 1948

20

American arms embargo on Palestine (and therefore Israel). 20 Israeli’s feel strongly about the Independence Day War and were psychologically affected by the United States’ failure to provide support and its attempt to prevent others from providing support. The embargo was historically isolating for the Israeli people and birthed a conscious effort to promote self-sufficiency from foreign aid.

The next point of contention occurred in the early 1950’s. Israel had been constructing a hydro-electric plant that would provide power and serve as a strategic asset along the northern border with Syria. The United Nations (U.N.) resolved that the action was in demilitarized zones and should cease to continue. Israel did not stop the construction and under John Foster Dulles’s urgence Eisenhower announced the cessation of economic and military aid to Israel. 21 This moment was crucial in the relationship between Israel and the United States. Israelis felt defeated by the betrayal of support from a generally amicable ally and realized that United States support was conditional. The

1948 arms embargo in conjunction with Foster Dulles’s cessation of aid underpinned the development of the protocol to act according to Israeli defense interests before foreign political ones.

This protocol clashed with United States interests just three years after Dulles’s aid cessation. In 1956, Egypt began attempts to nationalize the Suez Canal furthering an

20 Slonim, Shlomo. "The 1948 American Embargo on Arms to Palestine." Political Science Quarterly 94, no. 3 (1979), 495. doi:10.2307/2150455.

21 "Dulles Confirms Cutoff of Aid to Israel in Crisis ⁩ | ⁩B'nai B'rith הספרייה ".Messenger⁩ | 30 October 1953 | Newspapers | The National Library of Israel .Last modified October 30, 1953 .הלאומית https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/bbh/1953/10/30/01/article/4/?e=------en-20--1-- img-txIN%7ctxTI------1.

21 effort dating back to 1950 and blockading Israeli shipping vessels. Despite the United

States’ best-efforts, Israel, France, and Britain invaded the Sinai, the Eastern portion of

Egypt, in order to control the Suez and continue unhindered shipping through the straights of Tiran. Notwithstanding the United States’ initial stated interest in Israel’s right to continued passage through the Suez, the United States was supremely interested in winning over Naser to prevent Egypt’s strength from falling within the Soviet Bloc’s control. Concurrently, the Hungarian revolution was ongoing and the United States was focused on condemning Soviet influence in Hungary. The U.S. would have projected a hypocritical image denouncing Soviet imposition in Hungary and endorsing Western impositions in Egypt. The situation left the U.S. no choice but to condemn Israel and compel them to withdraw from the Sinai. The reaction in Israel was extremely contentious. Individuals felt that Israel’s security interests with regard to essential supplies sourced from the Suez superseded American geopolitical interests. Eventually,

Israel was forced to concede its control of the Sinai, but only after successfully guaranteeing American supervision of Israeli passage through the straights of Tiran (once the wreckage was dredged out.)

In the period leading up to the Six Day War, the United States’ pledge to continue safeguarding Israeli access to the Straights of Tiran was put to the test and failed. Despite

President Eisenhower explicitly stating verbally, and later in the Eisenhower Doctrine, that the United States would economically and militarily defend anyone in the region threatened by another country, specifically Israel, the straights were closed and no actions were taken. Furthermore, Golda Meir, Prime Minster of Israel made the caveat that she would only withdraw from the Sinai if the United States agreed that the future blockading

22 of the Straights of Tiran were casus belli for immediate unilateral military response from

Israel. 22 In an attempt to prevent regional destabilization, President Lyndon B. Johnson explicitly warned Israel not to act on its own in response to the blockade of the straights, a direct violation of the aforementioned promise. The Straights of Tiran retaliation was not the only ultimatum from the United States toward Israel under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, warned Israel that it would "lose U.S. support" it if developed nuclear weapons. 23 The protocol of acting in accordance with

Israeli defense interests before American interests and the continued American reneging of agreements threatened a cessation of political amicability. To Israelis, the conditions contingent for American support became increasingly clear -- complicity.

Beginning in the early 60’s and moving into the late 70’s, the relationship between Israel and the United States began to change. President Eisenhower’s approach to the Middle East conflict was to limit soviet influence by condemning any Arab cooperation with the Soviet Bloc, projects like the Aswan Dam in Egypt, while also condemning Israeli over-extension. 24 Kennedy’s approach to the Middle East, commonly referred to as “putting it in the icebox,” marked a significant shift in the way the United

States government approached the conflict. The plan was to de-escalate through positive

22 Barak, Eitan. "Between Reality and Secrecy: Israel's Freed of Navigation through the Straits of Tiran, 1956-1967." The Middle East Journal 61, no. 4 (2007), 657- 679. doi:10.3751/61.4.15.

23 "Release of Foreign Relations Volume on the Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1964- 1967." Federation Of American Scientists – Science for a Safer, More Informed World. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://fas.org/sgp/advisory/state/frusmide.html.

24 "Aswan High Dam." Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aswan-High-Dam.

23 impartiality. 25 In order to do so, the U.S. had to find a means of support for Israel that limited estrangement of Arab countries in the region. Despite being outwardly noncommittal, Kennedy was the first president to touch on what would forever be known as the “special relationship” between Israel and the United States. In a meeting between

Kennedy and Golda Meir, Kennedy expressed his concerns regarding over-alignment with Israel and its impact on the race to limit soviet influence in the region. Most importantly, Kennedy also expressed his desire to maintain a close relationship and the commitment that “in case of invasion the US would come to the support of Israel.” 26 As a result of this meeting, Israel began receiving the military aid it was denied under the

Eisenhower administration in the form of Hawk ground-to-air missiles. While not formally written, this presidential promise was the first time the US made a blanket statement militarily supporting Israel, unconditionally.

The term “special relationship” becomes a significant phrase in the communication surrounding Israel and the United States. In the coming years, the term would circulate more formally and the United States would commit wholeheartedly to unconditional support of Israel in the region. In a 1977 interview, President Jimmy Carter said “We have a special relationship with Israel. It’s absolutely crucial that no one in our country or around the world ever doubt that our No. 1 commitment in the Middle East is to protect the right of Israel to exist, to exist permanently, and to exist in peace. It’s a

25 Shannon, Vaughn P. Balancing Act: US Foreign Policy and the Arab-Israeli Conflict . London: Routledge, 2020: Pg. 55.

26 Ibid, 56.

24 special relationship.” 27 It’s safe to say that when this statement was made, the Israel issue was fully out of “the Icebox.” During the Reagan administration, the desire to continue close relations with Israel culminated on May 6, 1981 when Israel’s Defense Minister,

Ariel Sharon, and American Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger, signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a documented relationship of cooperation in defense and limiting soviet influence. 28 The Reagan administration was interested in keeping Israel’s operational advantage through military power and saw a documented security pact as the least inflammatory way to do so.

Months after signing the Memorandum of Understanding, Israel annexed the

Golan Heights as Israeli territory. Israel viewed the Golan Heights as a vital position due to continued aggression from Syria, a country refusing to recognize Israel’s existence or negotiate peace. Due to the ongoing conflict and the historic use of elevation to bombard key positions in Israel from well entrenched hills, the Knesset decided it had no choice but to occupy the region. The United States fervently condemned Israel’s actions. This came in the form of support for a UN resolution condemning Israel and suspending the

Memorandum of Understanding.29 At a time when Soviet intervention in Syria was already an issue of great concern, Israeli invasion and annexation of parts of Syria

27 "Jimmy Carter Interview." Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/mfadocuments/yearbook2/pages/211 %20press%20conference%20with%20president%20carter-%2012%20may.aspx .

28 "US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding." Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/peace/guide/pages/us- israel%20memorandum%20of%20understanding.aspx#:~:text=30%20Oct%201981&text =After%20a%20few%20weeks%20of,threats%20in%20the%20Middle%20East .

29 Ibid.

25 countered American diplomatic interests in the region. Cooperation against Syria was the reason the United States was interested in an MOU with Israel, making the annexation a disaster for regional diplomacy objectives. Concurrently, as tensions rose in Lebanon and

U.S. troops hit the ground to quell the war, Israeli actions further stoking the Palestinian

Liberation Organization (PLO) directly countered American security interests for troops and Lebanese citizens involved in the conflict. Israelis felt betrayed by the United States’ promise of Israel’s security interests being paramount and then subsequently condemning the annexation of crucial land for security. The suspension of the MOU and the annexation of the Golan Heights were key moments in the development of Israeli trust in reliance on U.S. support and will play a major factor in explaining why Trump’s moves were so impactful. In 1983, the MOU suspension was lifted and American-Israeli cooperation resumed, but psychological damage had already been done.

Settlements

From the mid 80’s to the early 2000’s the United States and Israel enjoyed a period of general amicability. It wasn’t until the George W. Bush era that palpable relational changes began to occur between the United States and Israel regarding settlements. A huge point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was and is the settlement of the West-Bank and other areas outside of the 1949 armistice lines. The settlements are contentious because in 1948 when negotiations for a Palestinian state began Palestinian leadership declined the offer presented to them in the partition plan.

Therefore, any reduction of land being offered in subsequent negotiations is perceived as movement away from plausible peace (two state solution). This perspective disregards history that occurred between 1949 and the beginning of Israeli re-settlement. Firstly,

26 after the Independence Day and ’67 wars, all claims against Israeli settlement were foregone. Palestinian efforts to exterminate Jews in the wars was an overt escalation from the Zionist displacement that occurred during the creation of Israel. The wars Israel won opposed assailants attempting to exterminate them. Palestinian leadership thought the war could be won and the land fully reclaimed. When this failed Palestinian leadership abdicated their right to any opinion regarding the expansion of Israeli settlement into tactically and religiously important areas. Furthermore, the subsequent Yom Kippur war in 1973 emphasizes Israel’s position in settlement expansion. On October 6 th , 1973, a coalition of Arab states surprise attacked Israel on a High Holiday where Jews fast and repent. Resorting to attack Jew’s when they are vulnerable and repenting violates moral presumptions, equivalent to the Geneva Convention, and justifies settlement for security.

The resulting measures aimed at insuring regions surrounding Israel were never used as staging areas for deadly surprise attacks again.

American policy on the matter varied greatly over the course of history. Policy was initially guided by the Fourth Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949 and signed by

Israel in 1951. Noted in the document it details, “the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” 30 The United

States position that Israeli settlement violated the fourth Geneva Convention and the subsequent U.N. resolutions regarding expansion continued up until the Reagan administration. After being elected in 1981, two months after ascension to office, Ronald

Reagan declared “I disagree when the previous administration referred to them

30 Neff, Donald. "Settlements in U.S. Policy." Journal of Palestine Studies 23, no. 3 (1994), 53-69. doi:10.2307/2537960.

27

[settlements] as illegal—they are not illegal… Israel’s rush [to establish settlements was] maybe… unnecessary.” 31 The United States determined that utilizing the U.N.’s judicial avenues to incriminate Israel was not working and therefore that method should be abandoned. The settlements were no longer “legal” or “illegal,” but an “obstacle” or

“counterproductive” to regional peace. 32 That being said the United States Government sentiment covering the settlements were negative, especially during the Bush Sr. administration. This changed when Bill Clinton came to office in 1993.

Clinton was more willing to align with Israel, but American policy was still officially against settlement. Practically, this meant the United States continually supported anti-Israel U.N. resolutions. It was not until the younger Bush administration that the United States official position on the settlements changed. In April 2004, George

W. Bush said “In light of new realities on the ground, including already existing population centers, it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome of final status negotiations will be a full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949.” 33 This had a massive impact on Israeli citizens and their perspective on the United States respect for Israeli security initiatives. To many Israelis, this was an action contextualized by other U.S. actions criticizing imperative security measures and served as a point of shared concern.

Nonetheless, this period dissipated upon President Obama’s ascension to office. Upon

31 Ibid, Pg. 60.

32 Ibid, Pg. 54.

33 Sharon, Ariel. "Letter From President Bush to Prime Minister Sharon." Welcome to the White House. Last modified April 14, 2004. https://georgewbush- whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040414-3.html .

28 taking office Obama called for a complete cessation of construction in the West Bank and eventually brokered a 10-month frozen period, where negotiations occurred. During this period, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Obama clashed on significant issues such as

Obama’s continued return to discussion regarding 1967 borders, a map that excludes

Israeli settlements constructed since then. It was not until Trump’s Peace to Prosperity initiative that the United States provided an endorsed map contingent on Israel maintaining its settled positions in the West Bank.

Embassy

There are many physical manifestations of ideological disagreement between the

Israeli and the United States governments that become relevant when discussing Peace.

One example is the way in which a partition plan or two state solution would occur. Up until the Trump administration, the United States’ position was that Jerusalem should be an internationally governed entity as its roots were international. Since its creation, the

Israeli Government has expressed the sentiment that Jerusalem is their undivided capital and have asked countries to move their embassies there. During the 1992 electoral campaign, Bill Clinton promised that he would recognize a unified Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and criticized George H. W. Bush for supporting a divided Jerusalem.

Clinton was elected, but due to the fragile nature of the Oslo accords the government never fulfilled the promise. 34 In 1995, U.S. Congress passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act

34 "From Bill Clinton to Trump: The Never-ending Story of the Jerusalem Embassy Move." Haaretz.com. Last modified February 5, 2017. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-the-never-ending-story-of-the-jerusalem- embassy-move-1.5494231 .

29 which stated that the embassy will be in Jerusalem within the next five years. The time passed and the promise was forgotten. During the 2000 election, George H. Bush promised he would immediately change the embassy upon swearing into office. Bush also reneged on his promise. 35 The recognition of Israel’s capital as Jerusalem serves not only as a source of American reneging, but also as a point of continued deviation from the Israeli government.

Iran

Another manifestation of ideological disagreement pertains to Iran’s procurement of nuclear weapons. Israeli policy has been against any allowances with regard to nuclearization of Iran due to their continued aggression and support for regional terror.

The Iranian nuclear issue is one of the key facets of Trump’s Israel-related policy and therefore understanding the history is crucial for this thesis. Previous to the 1979 revolution, Iran had already developed a nascent nuclear program centered around energy production. After the revolution, the new regime continued to allow the International

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect and regulate Iranian atomic facilities. In 2003,

Iran admitted to secretly enriching weapons grade uranium, the key component in utilizing uranium for weapons of mass destruction. Due to international pressure, Iran suspended its nuclear program for three years. In 2006, when the previous deal to suspend enrichment was completed and no new agreement had been reached, Iran resumed enriching uranium. 36 The key in understanding why this is problematic is that in

35 Ibid.

36 "The United States and the Iranian Nuclear Program: Policy Options." Choices Program | Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University. Accessed

30 order to facilitate Iranian nuclear power, Iran could continue procuring uranium abroad.

The main reasons Iran would want to develop a national enrichment program is to secretly procure enriched uranium for the purpose of weaponization.

Allowing an openly terrorist regime that regularly calls for the destruction of

Israel to procure uranium will never be acceptable for the Jewish State. In 2015, Obama signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action allowing the lifting of heavy sanctions on the Iranian economy in return for their compliance with regard to scaling down nuclear production. Obama saw this deal as the best means through which the United States could negotiate with Iran. Sanctions had not proven an expedient solution in the past and with the election of the seemingly moderate Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, Obama wanted to pursue new avenues. The issue was that the deal unfroze $100 billion of Iranian assets and provided no tangible way to prevent future secret enrichment from occurring. To put this number in perspective, Israel has received $146 billion in foreign aid from the U.S. since its inception in 1948.37 In the preamble and General Provision ii in the Join

Comprehensive Plan of Action it states, “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will

Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.” 38 That being said, signatories of the JCPOA failed to take into account the terror Iran would sponsor with the unfrozen money and failed to account for Iran’s provenience for skirting the truth.

March 13, 2021. https://www.choices.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/choices-twtn- iran-options.pdf.

37 Jeremy M. Sharp, "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel," Congressional Research Service , November 2020, xx, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf .

38 "Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action." Euro-parl. Last modified July 14, 2015. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/122460/full-text-of-the-iran-nuclear-deal.pdf .

31

Throughout the process, Israeli-American interaction was strained. Netanyahu,

Israel’s Prime Minister, tried everything in his power to prevent the signing of a deal unfreezing Iranian assets and lifting sanctions aimed at crippling future cash flows. The main concern was that the deal unfroze assets without receiving any tangible assurance or requirement from the Iranian government. Netanyahu arranged a secret invitation to speak in front of congress. During his speech Netanyahu expressed his discontent with

Obama’s methodology and implored the world to look at Iran’s history. Firstly, he explained that they are sponsoring terror: “Iran's goons in Gaza, its lackeys in Lebanon, its revolutionary guards on the Golan Heights are clutching Israel with three tentacles of terror.” Secondly, he explained that they are not to be trusted: “The former head of inspections for the IAEA said in 2013, ‘If there's no undeclared installation today in Iran, it will be the first time in 20 years that it doesn't have one.’ Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted.” Finally, Netanyahu explained they are not only out to get

Israel: “Iran's regime is not merely a Jewish problem, any more than the Nazi regime was merely a Jewish problem... Beyond the Middle East, Iran attacks America and its allies through its global terror network.” 39 Netanyahu believed Iran was lying about continuing to enrich weapons grade uranium and plutonium for the purpose of reclaiming frozen assets and weakening efforts to continue the nuclear sanctions limiting their economy. He was right.

39 Netanyahu, Benjamin. "The complete transcript of Netanyahu’s address to Congress." The Washington Post. Last modified March 3, 2015. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/03/03/full-text-netanyahus- address-to-congress/ .

32

In 2018, Netanyahu confronted the international community with irrefutable evidence that Iran had continued to enrich weapons grade uranium in complete disregard for the JCPOA. 40 The implications of this are at the United States behest, the international community unfroze over $100 billion of assets belonging to a terrorist regime for nothing in return. The Israeli response to the Prime Minister’s exposure of Iranian secret heavy water reactors and nuclear enrichment program in conjunction with their production of missiles capable of carrying nuclear payloads was negative. Many saw it as the direct result of the Obama administration’s lack of foresight in dealing with Iran and lack of respect for the implications empowering a radical theocracy in the Middle East.

Netanyahu expressed that Israel would go to war before Iran is fully nuclear capable and many Israelis saw Obama’s signing of the JCPOA as unnecessarily bringing Israel closer to necessitating military intervention in Iran. Time and again, the United States has expressed that its most important political objectives in the region are focused on Israel’s operational security. Nonetheless, through the Israeli government’s criticisms and pleading the Obama administration empowered Israel’s most radicalized enemy in the region, lifting sanctions on their economy and jump-starting their campaign of terror with

$100 billion. The JCPOA not only funded Israel centered terrorism, Iranian backed

Houthi rebels continue to destabilize the region, funded by money sourced from the

Obama administration’s JCPOA deal. 41

40 Netanyahu, Benjamin. "FULL: Netanyahu Reveals Iran Files." YouTube. Last modified April 30, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4zar3AuRv0&ab_channel=i24NEWSEnglish .

41 De Luce, Dan. "Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen Ramp Up Drone, Missile Attacks on Saudis." NBC News. Last modified March 12, 2021.

33

Peace-Proposals and Maps

Finally, in order to fully understand the impact of the Trump administration’s

Peace to Prosperity proposal, looking at the relevant previous peace opportunities is necessary. The first map of Israel referencing a two-state solution pre-dates the creation of the State of Israel.

Resolution 181

On November 29 th , 1947, U.N. Resolution 181 called for the separation of the land previously known as Mandatory Palestine into Israeli and Palestinian states. The proposal passed and Jewish groups residing in Palestine acquiesced; Palestinian representatives declined. The resulting years led to a withdrawal of British troops and the creation of a Jewish State in its place. Nonetheless, previous to the Palestinian refusal the

U.N. had drafted a map of what the two-state solution would look like (below). The map provides a roughly equivalent set of nations bisecting the Mediterranean waterfront and dividing all international borders into Palestinian and Israeli sections. The southern addition of the “Arab state” to what we conventionally recognize as Gaza served as the framework for Trump’s Peace to Prosperity agreement.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iranian-backed-houthi-rebels-yemen-ramp-drone- missile-attacks-saudi-n1260488 .

34

Figure 2. Plan of Partition of Palestine. Nations, United. "A/RES/181(II)." UNISPAL- United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine. Last modified November 29, 1947. https://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/0/7F0AF2BD897689B785256C330061D253 .

Resolution 242

The next significant map details Israel’s evolving territory after the ’67 war. The map shows Israeli withdrawal from territory gained in the war and marked a significant development in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The key differences between the partition map and the Resolution 242 map are that the latter was not focused on Palestinian

35 statehood. Rather, the map was created to stabilize the region and encourage Israel to withdraw from territories gained in the ’67 war. Upon comparison with the 1947 two- state map, a large portion of the “Arab state” in the northern and southern regions are now recognized as part of Israel.

Figure 3. Nations, United. "Territories Occupied by Israel Since June 1967 - Map (11 June 1997)." UNISPAL-United Nations Information System on the Question of Palestine. Last modified November 22, 1967. https://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/cf02d057b04d356385256ddb006dc02f/b08a2e4d1fde5c ec85256b98006e752f?OpenDocument .

Allon Plan

Additionally, one piece of history relevant to understanding the current Peace to

Prosperity deal is the Allon Plan. It was drafted by minister Yigal Allon and proposed the partition of the West-Bank into Israeli and Jordanian control. It is important in the discursive context of the conflict because it is the first time the Jordan Valley and the

36 connecting road to Jordan was a factor of negotiation, something present in Trump’s

Peace to Prosperity proposal. Additionally, the plan proposed segments of the West Bank previously un-discussed be annexed under Israeli control as they were settled by Israeli inhabitants (below.) While the plan never gained much traction, some areas look strikingly similar to the map President Trump presented and therefore is a crucial data point in examining the context of current proposals.

Figure 4. CIE. "The Alon Plan." Last modified July 2, 2019. https://israeled.org/resources/documents/the-alon-plan/ .

Camp David Accords

In 1978, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin attended the Camp David Accords

Summit and signed an agreement called the Framework for Peace, overseen by President

Jimmy Carter. The Camp David Accords fundamentally changed regional politics and

37 influenced future peace negotiations significantly. The United States position as moderator developed out of the relationship the United States had with both Egypt and

Israel, but would carry over into future negotiations between Israel and countries all around the world. Another influential event surrounding this negotiation was the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981 by the radical group Islamic Jihad, who claim to have killed Sadat in response to his signing and reception of a Nobel Peace Prize. Aside from the assassination of a signatory, the Framework largely broke down because the

Palestinian people felt they were not adequately represented by a Palestinian but rather were at the behest of outside nations like Egypt.

Oslo Accords

The Oslo accords of 1993 and 1995 were constructed around the failure of the

Framework for Peace. The fundamental differences are that the Palestinian Liberation

Organization led by Yasser Arafat represented the Palestinian people as an independently elected Palestinian entity. Additionally, Bill Clinton was noted as brokering the discussion with the two countries, setting the stage for the timeless image of Rabin,

Arafat and Clinton embracing (below.) The United States role in brokering the most recent and closest proposal at achieving peace is crucial in understanding the context of

Trump’s Peace to Prosperity proposal. During the negotiated time period when the peace process was to be fulfilled, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. The agreement broke down as the time period detailed in the accords expired and interlocutors’ requirements had not been met.

38

42

Figure 5. "Maps of the Palestinian Territories: Oslo II." Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/map-of-the-oslo-ii-plan .

Trump took multiple actions regarding Israel and the broader Middle East all of which lie at the end of a long history of relevant data points. From an Israeli perspective,

Trump’s actions were overt rectifications for historic grievances Israel had toward the

United States. In many ways, the United States compelled Israel out of carrying forth promises and simultaneously held Israel to the highest standard. Israel and the United

States don’t have a defensive pact and therefore are not legally required to act if war is declared. As the historian Bernard Reich aptly stated, “The Commitment [from the US toward Israel] has taken the rather generalized form of presidential statements rather than

42 "Rabin and Arafat Seal Their Accord As Clinton Applauds 'Brave Gamble'." The New York Times Web Archive. Accessed March 13, 2021. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0913.html .

39 formal documents.” 43 Keeping this in mind, analyzing President Trump’s messages in addition to his actions is fundamental in understanding Israel’s relationship with the

United States and its ongoing survival. As former Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir once described to the Knesset,

Our relations with the United States are of a special character. Between our two

nations there is a deep friendship, based on common values and identical interests.

At the same time, differences between our two countries crop up occasionally,

chiefly on the subject of our borders and how to defend our security. These

differences of opinion are natural; they stem from changing conditions, and they

express our independence and our separate needs… Israel is a difficult ally, but a

faithful and reliable one. We are certain that what we have in common with the

United States is permanent and deep, while our disagreements are ephemeral. The

permanent will overcome the ephemeral. 44

43 Reich, Bernard. Israel: Land Of Tradition And Conflict , 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2018. Pg. 192

44 Ibid, Pg. 196.

40

CHAPTER THREE: TRUMP AND THE CALL It is important to know the context of Trump’s actions regarding Israel in order to understand the significance of his policies. Now that the context has been provided,

Trump’s specific actions can be examined. This chapter will cover five major actions

Trump took toward Israel and discuss why they were seemingly beneficial for the State of

Israel. Then I examine the implications of Trump as the individual that manifested these changes and why these implications call me to the defense of Israel.

Trump Administration’s Policy

Recognition of the Golan Heights is the first pro-Israel policy under examination.

On March 25, 2019, Trump passed a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The document notes:

The State of Israel took control of the Golan Heights in 1967 to safeguard its

security from external threats. Today, aggressive acts by Iran and the terrorist

groups, including Hizballah, in southern Syria continue to make the Golan

Heights a potential launching ground of attacks on Israel. Any possible future

peace agreement in the region must account for Israel’s need to protect itself from

Syria and other regional threats. 45

United States recognition of Israeli security being paramount to geopolitical agendas has been a point of contention throughout the two countries’ relationships. The 1948 embargo, the Syrian Hydro-Electric Provocation, the Suez Crisis, Golda Meir’s Promise

45 Donald J. Trump, "Proclamation on Recognizing the Golan Heights As Part of the State of Israel," U.S. Embassy in Israel, last modified January 21, 2021, https://il.usembassy.gov/proclamation-on-recognizing-the-golan-heights-as-part-of-the- state-of-israel/ .

41 of retaliation against blockading the straights of Tiran, making aid contingent on de- nuclearization, the Iran Nuclear Crisis, and finally the memorandum of understanding pertaining to occupation of the Golan Heights are examples of fundamental deviations between the Israeli and U.S. governments and their valuation of Israel’s security. The

Golan Heights were viewed by the international community as Syrian territory occupied by Israel for over forty years. The U.S. taking pro-active action in being the first country to recognize a necessary security position as part of Israel is groundbreaking and had profound effects.

As recently as 2015, Prime Minister Netanyahu explained that it was crucial for

Israel’s security to limit Iran’s funds and not sign the JCPOA, as it would allow Iran to advance their covert nuclear project considerably. Netanyahu expressed releasing funds and easing sanctions would mean catastrophe as they fund terror in Israel, but the U.S. signed the JCPOA anyway. The U.S. has made clear it historically valued geopolitical amicability over Israeli security which contextualizes the significance of Trump going against the international community and supporting Israel’s security in recognition of the

Golan Heights. Israeli soldiers and civilians alike witnessed the destruction enemy control of the Golan Heights caused and Trump’s actions showed Israel supporters he was committed to preventing anything like it again. Furthermore, U.S. recognition of the

Golan Heights could normalize recognition for future countries across the globe, emphasizing the ostensibly beneficial nature of what occurred during the Trump administration.

Similarly, the second major pro-Israel action Trump spearheaded is the Peace to

Prosperity proposal. The proposal was significant for Israel supporters for many reasons,

42 the first being its deviation from previous deliberations. The proposal was presented to the Palestinian people by a joint U.S.-Israeli effort. This was the first time the Israeli

Prime Minister helped craft a proposal including all of Israel’s necessary concerns before presenting the document to Palestinian leadership. The real benefit for the Israeli people was that the U.S. attempted to reconcile Israeli security and community interests while also providing a dignified path for Palestinian statehood making the plan plausible. In doing so, the Trump administration created a proposal that would benefit Israel and be attractive for Palestinians. The plan detailed 50 billion dollars over 10 years in economic development and a 5-billion-dollar tunnel connecting the West Bank and Gaza. 46 The plan detailed a gradual increase in political autonomy for the Palestinians. The compromises made in the agreement were historic and could have led to a lasting peace in the region if Palestinian leaders entered deliberation with an open mind.

Geographically, the Peace to Prosperity agreement attempted to reconcile a variety of impasses voiced by the Israeli government in response to previous proposals and therefore contributed to Trump’s actions seemingly helping Israel. The first impasse under examination is the Jordan Valley, an area east of the West Bank and west of the

Jordan River. 47 The Jordan Valley has been an Israeli talking point since the ‘67 War.

Annexation was initially proposed in the Allon plan, and has since been a key deliberation point for the Israeli government. Maintaining control over what goes in and out of the West Bank in war-time situations is vital in maintaining a strategic edge and

46 The White House, Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People , (Washington D.C., 2020), https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/peacetoprosperity/ .

47 The White House , “Peace to Prosperity.”

43 limiting continued rocket or missile attacks. The Allon plan never gained traction, making the Peace to Prosperity plan the first U.S. backed document detailing Israeli control of the Jordan Valley.

Similarly, the Peace to Prosperity plan map details an addition of land to the Gaza

Strip with an Israeli buffer between the Gaza-addition and Egypt. The prospective area added is similar in shape to the initial 1948 partition proposal but modernized to reflect the current regional changes in the border and communities already settled. The deal is beneficial for Israel because it is able to maintain its security interests in exchange for

Palestinian land lost in the West Bank. In that way, the Palestinian addition near the Gaza

Strip played a large factor in deliberation over reconciliation of Israeli settlements. The

Peace to Prosperity plan map included Israel’s maintenance of settlements and a

Palestinian increase in total land with “no evacuation of any community, Israeli or

Palestinian.” 48

48 The White House , “Peace to Prosperity.”

44

Figure 6. The White House , “Peace to Prosperity.”

Another one of Trump’s policies that is outwardly pro-Israel is the recognition of

Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital. The embassy is more than a bureaucratic building and, according to Israel, Jerusalem has always been its operational center. Acceptance that Israel should have agency over where the capital city is located was a hard-fought battle. The U.S. reneged on multiple pledges over 30 years to move the embassy, demonstrating the radically pro-Israel sentiment the Trump administration adopted. On

December 6, 2017, President Trump ended the period of disagreement formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and made arrangements to move the embassy. Trump’s actions bookend a long disagreement between the Israeli and U.S. governments and demonstrates how radically pro-Israel Trump’s policy was.

The fourth major pro-Israel policy shift that occurred during the Trump administration was the withdrawal from the JCPOA and the re-imposition of economic

45 sanctions on Iran. The aforementioned evidence regarding the Iran deal showed, without a doubt, that Iran directly violated the JCPOA and continues to violate it daily, free of international backlash. Countless pieces of evidence proving the continued enrichment of weapons grade uranium and heavy water, in conjunction with the creation of nuclear payload ICBMs, demonstrate the thriving covert nuclear program existing under the guise of the JCPOA. President Trump expressed that the deal was terrible from the infancy of his campaign and followed up. On May 8, 2018, President Trump announced that the

U.S. would withdraw from the JCPOA and re-impose sanctions on the Iranian economy pressuring the government to end its nuclear aspirations. The deal unfroze billions of dollars and provided an immediate cash influx to Iran. The money freed up in the deal contributed to “the leading state sponsor of terror, that exports dangerous missiles, fuels conflicts across the Middle East, and supports terrorist proxies and militias such as

Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda.” 49 To remain in an unsuccessful deal and fail to re-impose sanctions on Iran, a terrorist organization that continued to construct nuclear weapons of mass destruction, is ludicrous and counter intuitive. Israeli Prime

Minister Netanyahu tried everything to prevent the signatories from participating and

Trump’s decision to exit was significant for Israel. In response to the withdrawal, PM

Netanyahu explained, “Israel fully supports President Trump’s bold decision today to

49 Doug Mills, "Read the Full Transcript of Trump’s Speech on the Iran Nuclear Deal (Published 2018)," The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos, last modified May 8, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/08/us/politics/trump-speech-iran- deal.html?action=click&module=Intentional&pgtype=Article .

46 reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the terrorist regime in Tehran." 50 Previously, Israel has stated that it would go to war with Iran before allowing it to procure nuclear capabilities, and Trump’s effort to stop that reality with the entire power of the U.S. economy communicates solidarity and a convergence of interest with the Israeli people.

The fifth and final major pro-Israel policy Trump exacted was the brokerage of peace between Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel. Historically, the

UAE has publicly been at odds with Israel. In 1971, the first president of the UAE was quoted saying “Israel’s policy of expansion and racist plans of Zionism are directed against all Arab countries, and in particular those which are rich in natural resources. No

Arab country is safe from the perils of the battle with Zionism unless it plays its role and bears its responsibilities in confronting the Israeli enemy.” 51 The UAE saw Israel as the opposition and viewed Israel as a Zionist extension of Western plots to invade the region.

Bahrain also has a history of conflict with Zionists and was one of the signatories in the

Arab League Boycott of Israel. Recently, the foreign minister of Bahrain has been quoted saying “Israel is part of the heritage of this whole region, historically. So, the Jewish people have a place amongst us.” 52 The normalization comes at a time of unique

50 Marissa Newman, "Netanyahu: Israel ‘fully Supports’ Trump’s ‘bold’ Pullout from Iran Deal," The Times of Israel | News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, last modified May 8, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-israel-fully- supports-trumps-bold-pullout-from-iran-deal/ .

51 Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, "ISRAEL AND THE ARAB GULF STATES: DRIVERS AND DIRECTIONS OF CHANGE," Rice University's Baker Institute, last modified September 2016, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/research_document/13eaaa71/CME-pub- GCCIsrael-090716.pdf .

52 Raphael Ahren, "Bahrain FM to Times of Israel: Israel is Here to Stay, and We Want Peace with It," The Times of Israel | News from Israel, the Middle East and the

47 opportunity. The common issue of Iran’s growing radicalization and influence in the region has thawed relations between Israel and the Gulf states. Iran’s continued state funding of Shia militia and its expansionist religious ideology created space for a regional coalition. It is not coincidence that the administration that withdrew from the JCPOA and reimposed economic sanctions on Iran was the same administration that brokered normalized relations between Gulf States and Israel. Trump’s impact aligning the U.S. and Israel with Gulf States because of common interests will have profound implications on Israel’s future.

The Call to Defend

So far I have focused on positive aspects of the Trump administration’s Israel- related effects. Many of Trump’s Israel-related policies reconciled outstanding promises, long-term goals, or brokered lasting peace left untouched by previous administrations.

Despite the positive immediate effect Trump had on Israel, what called me to the defense of Israel was not Trump’s policy, but his language. As historian Bernard Reich explained,

“The Commitment [from the US toward Israel] has taken the rather generalized form of presidential statements rather than formal documents.” 53 Previously, language has played a significant role in the history of Israeli-American policy and will continue to do so.

Understanding how Trump has affected that relationship is fundamentally important for this thesis.

Jewish World, last modified June 26, 2019, https://www.timesofisrael.com/bahrain-fm- to-times-of-israel-israel-is-here-to-stay-and-we-want-peace-with-it/. 53 Reich, “ Land of Tradition and Conflict.”

48

Throughout Trump’s tenure as president, he was accused of remarks emboldening white-supremacists, delegitimizing racism, and objectifying women. The list of racist and radically inflammatory remarks is long and extensive and provides the grounds for my call to separate pro-Israel support from the Trump administration . In order to properly engage in that separation, a basic understanding of what Trump did wrong is necessary.

The following section will focus on identifying the negative remarks and associations surrounding Trump and provide context for why Trump is not a good harbinger of radically pro-Israel sentiment.

Throughout Trump’s campaign he flaunted strict policies regarding immigrants, particularly Jewish, Hispanic, and African individuals. This ideology keyed in right wing militia across the country to support Trump’s campaign. Trump will tell you that he is

“the least racist person you’ve ever seen.” 54 Nonetheless, despite that statement during

President Trump’s tenure riots broke out across the country: BlackLivesMatter, antifa,

Neo-Nazis and the capitol riots. 55, 56, 57 As our leader, President Trump’s duty was to

54 David A. Graham et al., "An Oral History of Trump’s Bigotry," The Atlantic, last modified May 13, 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/06/trump-racism- comments/588067/ .

55 Ashley Westerman, Ryan Benk, and David Greene, "In 2020, Protests Spread Across The Globe With A Similar Message: Black Lives Matter," NPR.org, last modified December 30, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/12/30/950053607/in-2020-protests- spread-across-the-globe-with-a-similar-message-black-lives-matt .

56 Rachael Levy, "What Is Antifa?," WSJ, last modified September 1, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/q-a-what-is-antifa-11598985917 .

57 Katelyn Polantz, "Capitol Riot Defendant Flips Against Proud Boys," CNN, last modified April 7, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/07/politics/capitol-riot-flip- proud-boys/index.html .

49 reassure, reunite, and rectify. The country needed a strong figure and millions of

Americans were waiting on a thoughtful and swift representation of the events by the president. Trump’s responses repeatedly not only failed to bring together the country, but further empowered anarchist movements and emboldened white supremacist Neo-Nazis.

What Called Me: Condoning Alt-Right Support

The first event under examination occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia. On

August 12, 2017, a white supremacist rally took place in response to the Charlottesville

City Council voting to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee. 58 The rally included extremist- right wing groups claiming different classifications. According to the Southern Poverty

Law Center, the groups present at the rally were classified as neo-confederates, White

Nationalists, Neo-Nazis, Klansman, and the alt-right. 59 During the march, the aforementioned groups chanted “White Lives Matter,” “Jews will not replace us,” and the

Nazi-associated phrase “blood and soil.” 60 Continued violence broke out between protesters and counter-protesters causing Virginia Governor McAuliffe to declare a state of emergency. At 1:40 pm, a car plowed into a crowd of people, killing a counter-

58 Facing History and Ourselves, "Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville Timeline," FHAO, accessed April 8, 2021, https://www.facinghistory.org/sites/default/files/Unite_the_Right_Rally_in_Charlottesvill e_Timeline.pdf .

59 "The People, Groups and Symbols at Charlottesville," Southern Poverty Law Center, last modified August 15, 2017, https://www.splcenter.org/news/2017/08/15/people-groups-and-symbols-charlottesville .

60 Facing History and Ourselves, "Timeline."

50 protester named Heather Hayer and sending nineteen to the hospital. Later, a police helicopter crashed responding to the transpiring events killing both policemen inside. 61

Charlottesville was a wake-up call for the country regarding the importance of the rising alt-right presence and the continued dangers of White Supremacists. Just two hours after the car plowed into a crowd at the rally, Trump addressed the nation saying “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, many sides.” 62 He repeated the phrase “many sides” making it resoundingly clear the phrase was intentional. As a Jew residing in the United States, I was among the many awaiting a swift condemnation of radical right-wing groups and militia. Trump missed the opportunity to be a comforting figure in the wake of a tragedy and instead pandered to a vile voter constituency.

Many people believed Trump’s statements empowering White-Supremacists in response to the Charlottesville incident was a miscommunication. It was unclear whether

Trump was purposefully vague or mistakenly vague. This perspective was reconciled three years later. During a presidential debate, Trump was asked to openly condemn

White-Supremacist groups in order to prove that he was willing to estrange violent voter constituencies on international television. The records are as follows:

WALLACE (moderator): You have repeatedly criticized the Vice President for

not specifically calling out antifa and other left-wing extremist groups. But are

61 Facing History and Ourselves, "Timeline."

62 Dan Merica, "Trump Condemns 'hatred, Bigotry and Violence on Many Sides' in Charlottesville - CNN Politics," CNN, last modified August 13, 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/trump-statement-alt-right-protests/index.html .

51

you willing, tonight, to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to

say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence in a number of these

cities as we saw in Kenosha and as we've seen in Portland? Are you prepared to

specifically do that?

TRUMP: Sure, I'm prepared to do that. But I would say almost everything I see

is from the left wing, not from the right wing. If you look, I'm willing to do

anything. I want to see peace.

WALLACE: Then do it, sir.

BIDEN: Do it. Say it.

TRUMP: You want to call them? What do you want to call them? Give me a

name, give me a name, go ahead — who would you like me to condemn?

WALLACE: White supremacists, white supremacists and right-wing militia.

TRUMP: Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I'll tell you what:

Somebody's got to do something about antifa and the left. Because this is not a

right-wing problem — this is a left-wing problem. 63

Throughout the interaction, Trump attempts to redirect sentiment toward the “left-wing” instead of acknowledging the dangers of alt-right organizations. Each statement of admission regarding right-wing violence is paired with a counter-statement accusing the

“left” of doing worse. Trump should have taken the opportunity to unmistakably

63 Sarah Mccammon, "From Debate Stage, Trump Declines To Denounce White Supremacy," NPR.org, last modified September 30, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/09/30/918483794/from-debate-stage-trump-declines-to- denounce-white-supremacy .

52 denounce neo-Nazis and White Supremacists like the Proud Boys. Instead, he said “stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what: somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left.” Trump was purposefully vague in his denunciation of the Proud Boys delegitimizing the admission to right wing violence with “but” statements and accusing the opposition of the same behavior. Trump’s blatant forms of endorsement called out to me like a fire alarm and in doing so, stirred the fire inside me that fueled my quest to defend Israel.

The call is a primordial communication event taking the form of a universal declaration. Through sublime channels, the call communicates that something is True often compelling individuals to action. True as in the correct way the universe functions or the answer key to the pursuit of knowledge. The call is a showing that translates an individual’s morals into judgements our brains are unable to make clear to us. It is a vehicle through which an individual is allowed a glimpse of perspective unreachable through conventional means. In Kabbalah this would take the form of being briefly illuminated by the ray of limitless light that peers down onto our universe to guide us.

Being called is a brief lifting of the veil of secrecy placed on the inner mechanisms of the universe. Seeing Trump purposefully embolden modern day Nazi’s called to me. The call showed me a glimpse of what was really going on. Trump was hurting Israel.

Trump’s language had profound inflammatory implications for many right-wing radical groups. Alex Kaplan, a senior researcher at Media Matters for America, tweeted an image shedding light on the impact Trump’s statements had. Alex claims he pulled the

53 image below from Telegram, a cross platform cloud-based messaging system. 64 The image includes the Proud Boys logo and the organization’s initials surrounded by the quote “Stand Back Stand By,” published by the Proud Boys profile.

Figure 7. Alex Kaplan, "The Proud Boys on Telegram have now posted an image with its logo and Trump's remark," Twitter, last modified September 29, 2020, https://twitter.com/AlKapDC/status/1311134771171545089 .

White supremacist groups across the country utilized Trump’s statements as a recruitment call, weaponizing the slogan and thanking the President for the affirmation.

According to the New York Times , private social media groups reported the statement as

“historic” and commented that a spike in “new recruits” had already occurred. 65 In the

64 "Telegram – a New Era of Messaging," Telegram, accessed April 8, 2021, https://telegram.org/ .

65 Sheera Frenkel and Annie Karni, "Proud Boys Celebrate Trump’s ‘stand By’ Remark About Them at the Debate," The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia, last modified September 29, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/29/us/trump-proud-boys-biden.html .

54 absence of a decisive denunciation, Trump provided the Proud Boys with nationally televised airtime causing a new wave of recruits and publicity.

What Called me: Racism

Trump’s language referencing Hispanic immigrants also called me to separate pro-Israel ideology from the Trump administration. During the presidential campaign,

Trump expressed that Mexico was “sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime.

They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” 66 The notion that Trump is familiar with the backgrounds of immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border is absurd and assuming they are criminals based on their origin and skin color is racism. Trump even exclaimed that Mexico as a government was “killing our economy.” 67 Emphasizing

Trump’s disdainful behavior, in the 2016 presidential debates Trump said “we have some bad hombres” in reference to the need for a wall. 68 The messages Trump communicates are inflammatory and breed hatred against ethnic, religious, and national groups rather than inspire hope or confidence in the American public.

66 Katie Reilly, "Here Are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico," Time, last modified August 31, 2016, https://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting- insult/ .

67 Reilly, "Times Trump Insulted Mexico."

68 "Donald Trump: We need to get out 'bad hombres'," CNN, last modified October 19, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AneeacsvNwU&ab_channel=CNN .

55

Trump’s actions that called me to separate Israeli support from his administration are numerous and impact strong American constituencies that heavily influence future support for Israel. One such population is the African American community. In a 1991 book written by the Chief Operating Officer of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, John

O’Donnell, recalls Trump criticizing a black accountant saying,

Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting

my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. … I think that the guy is

lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really

is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control. 69

This blatantly racist remark comes after the Trump family was sued two times for preventing black people from renting their property in New York. A former employee recalled that it was company policy to only rent to “Jews and executives.” 70 Donald

Trump has shown through his actions and words that he judges, values, and discriminates people based on their nationality, race, and ethnicity. By dissociating himself with black

Americans and associating himself with pro-Israelism, Trump is creating a political barrier between black and Jewish constituencies.

What Called Me: Sexism

69 John R. O'Donnell and James Rutherford, Trumped!: The Inside Story of the Real Donald Trump—His Cunning Rise and Spectacular Fall (Crossroad Press, 2016).

70 Graham, "Oral History of Trump’s Bigotry."

56

Trump has also been criticized for repeatedly insulting women. Nonetheless, he claims, “Nobody respects women more than I do.” 71 The following quotes will prove that

Trump has debased his character by repeatedly spewing misogyny. During the 2015 campaign against Hillary Clinton, Trump tweeted the message, “If Hillary can’t satisfy her husband, what makes her think she can satisfy America?”72 The message was received harshly and was deleted from Twitter promptly, but the damage had already been done. Additionally, in 2013 when commenting on the number of sexual assault occurrences in the military he remarked, “26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military-only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men & women together?” 73 During his tenure as president and in the midst of the lawsuit with former associate Stormy Daniels, Trump called her “horseface” in a tweet. 74 Trump has proven that he has little if any respect for women and has repeatedly damaged his image to the point of being un-alliable. The subsequent alliance with Israeli policy is damaging for future support of Israel in the U.S.

71 Gregory Krieg, "12 Times Donald Trump Declared His 'respect' for Women - CNN Politics," CNN, last modified October 8, 2016, https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/07/politics/donald-trump-respect-women .

72 Catherine Thompson, "Donald Trump Spreads the Message That 'Hillary Clinton Can't Satisfy Her Husband'," Business Insider, last modified April 17, 2015, https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-via-twitter-hillary-clinton-cant-satisfy- her-husband-2015-4.

73 Daniella Diaz, "Trump Defends Tweet on Military Sexual Assault," CNN, last modified September 8, 2016, https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/politics/donald-trump- military-sexual-assault/index.html .

74 Adam Edelman, "Trump Calls Stormy Daniels 'horseface'; She Fires Back with 'tiny' and Notes the President's 'shortcomings'," NBC News, last modified October 16, 2018, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-calls-stormy-daniels- horseface-after-judge-dismisses-her-suit-n920701 .

57

A Call Sounded

Chapter two briefly covered the Israeli history necessary in understanding how the exact policy Trump has pushed is beneficial for Israel. Now I will discuss why Trump espousing pro-Israel policy is bad. What prompted me to initially question how Trump was impacting Israel was a conversation I had with one of my professors. We used to talk about politics, specifically Trump as the class took their seats. One day, as class settled in, my professor and I got into a specifically animated debate about Trump’s actions surrounding Charlottesville. I conceded that what he did was wrong, but the argument was about whether the Trump administration was good or bad for Israel. After a long back and forth I began going through Israeli history explaining why Trump’s actions would have profound practical implications for Israel. The professor looked at me and said, “that’s all fine and good but aren’t you a Jew?” I answered curtly, “yes.” To which he responded, “then you should know anyone who purposefully empowers Nazis is no friend of yours. What do you think White Supremacy means? Duh-Duh” We later had more in-depth conversations about the subject, but the affect he had on my perception of the situation was resounding. That was the moment I realized that I had to re-evaluate aligning with Trump on any matter.

After some time spent thinking over the discussion, I wanted to look further into what my professor meant. Trump’s lack of action with regard to White Supremacists and

Charlottesville required serious exploration, but overt support was the smoking gun I needed to make me believe Trump was ultimately negative for the Jewish State. I approached my professor and inquired about procuring evidence of Trump explicitly empowering White Supremacists. I recall the conversation as follows: “You don’t need

58 him to say that he supports White Supremacy, he called Robert E. Lee part of American heritage.” “I don’t understand,” I responded honestly. There was an extended pause while my professor laughed pensively. “What was Charlottesville about?” “Tearing down the statue of Robert E. Lee.” I said not understanding the trajectory of his argument. He responded asking, “Why?” It took me a second but I started to catch on. “Racism.

Slavery. He was an influential general fighting for the Confederacy.” Finally, my professor stopped holding out on me; “and what was the confederate really about? Who is attempting to exact supremacy over who?”

That was the moment everything came together. On June 10 th , 2020 President

Trump Tweeted that the Confederate War monuments and army bases are, “part of a

Great American Heritage” and would not be renamed. 75 Adopting Robert E. Lee and the

Confederates who gained notoriety fighting for slavery as beneficial parts of our heritage fundamentally disregards the humans these individuals affected and downplays their role in a national White Supremacist scheme. Combating the Confederacy should be of the utmost importance for Jews who have suffered immensely at the hand of White

Supremacists. In fact, to further emphasize the severity of Trump’s confederate adoration,

Hitler and the Nazi party drew heavily off Jim Crow legislation when constructing the

Nuremburg Laws. 76 The Nuremburg laws were passed in 1935 and they detailed

75 Libbey Cathey, "Trump's History of Defending Confederate 'heritage' Despite Political Risk: ANALYSIS," ABC News, last modified June 11, 2020, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-history-defending-confederate-heritage-political- risk-analysis/story?id=71199968 .

76 Bill Moyers, "How the Nazis Used Jim Crow Laws As the Model for Their Race Laws," BillMoyers.com, last modified June 5, 2020, https://billmoyers.com/story/hitler-america-nazi-race-law/.

59 strikingly similar impositions on Jews as had historically been imposed onto African

Americans. The first was the citizenship law, relegating Jewish Germans to second-class citizens. The second was the blood law, detailing exactly how much Jewish blood made an individual Jewish or not. The final law was to instill the Swastika as the only German flag. 77 Similarly to the confederate flag, a symbolic embodiment of group ideology, the swastika represented Nazi ideology and therefore White Supremacy. The similarities in what Trump called “great American heritage” to the Nazi party demonstrates how

Trump’s actions emboldening White Supremacy is problematic for all parties involved.

The constancy of the call demanded that I was on call settling into class and open to new possibilities regarding my understanding of the situation. Going back to the words of Kilmer and Rousseau, the call addresses our emotional capacity to be moved and be touched by things other than ourselves. 78, 79 In this situation, I had to be open to understanding how the difference between immediate and long-term effects can fundamentally change a figures impact. If I had been closed off to the possibility of things being other than they seemed, I wouldn’t have been able to come to the realization that Trump’s actions were ultimately negative. Before I realized Trump was adversely impacting Israel, I thought defending Trump’s policy regarding Israel was beneficial in crafting my dwelling place. I felt that I was helping the world see that one facet of

Trump’s foreign policy was good and it was important to point that out in addition to criticizing him for his weaknesses. In Lurianic terms, I felt like I was doing my part in

77 Moyers, “How the Nazis Used Jim Crow.”

78 Kilmer, “ Trees .”

79 Rousseau, “ Selections from his Writings .”

60

Tikun-Olam or fixing the world when in actuality I was tainting the Olam-Hazeh or this world and fostering Olam-Tohu or chaotic world. After looking into what Trump stands for, it became increasingly evident I was wrong. Any long-term association with Trump would be detrimental for Israel’s survival.

The reality that the policy Trump pushed is policy pro-Israel advocates have long desired complicates the evaluation. Trump’s persona in totality is inflammatory, but with regard to Israel, the question is whether the immediate beneficial effects of Trump’s policy outweigh his behavior’s future harmful effects. The changes Trump made ended decade long struggles between nations, bookended international disagreements, and assured Israeli security positions that had been questioned for over 40 years. The key in exploring this tradeoff is in the possible associations Trump’s administration could have on future support of Israel. Due to the length and media coverage of the Israeli conflicts

Trump’s actions focused on, involvement had a high chance of associating the perpetrator and the action. To further explain, for example, imagine there was a hypothetical circle of chairs for a meeting and one chair was always left empty. If someone chose to start sitting in the chair usually left empty, the rest of the people attending the circle would likely associate the person with the chair. They would realize something was not as it usually was because now the chair gets sat in. The fact that nobody else sat in the chair made the action memorable tying the sitter to the chair. If presidents had been espousing ground breaking Israel related policy for decades, the likelihood of association between the individual that espoused the policy and the policy itself is unlikely. Due to the long- standing nature of the conflicts Trump ameliorated, an association was inevitable. For example, the embassy was held up in Tel-Aviv for almost 30 years, the Golan Heights

61 was not recognized as Israeli territory for over 40 years, and Bahrain and the UAE having been cold toward Israel since their inception in 1971. Trump’s policy ending these issues directly associated his administration with pro-Israel policy.

The laundry list of inflammatory remarks Trump has been quoted espousing makes the association between Trump and pro-Israelism a barrier for future pro-Israel administrations. Trump’s emboldening radical right-wing groups, consistent reference to race, ethnicity, and sex in value judgements, and poor decorum have made associating with him morally and politically pejorative. Pro-Israelism is at danger of being irrevocably associated with racism and bigotry.

I am called to the defense of what I think could be a terrible relationship for organizations in the United States who support Israel. Individuals who are pro-Israel are now assumed to be pro-Trump. Being pro-Trump is associated with White Supremacy and other radical right-wing organizations. In supporting Trump’s actions with regard to immediate Israeli policy, people are providing grounds for administrations like Trump’s to continue the association of bigotry and pro-Israelism. Future administrations need to see the “permanent and deep” commonalities Yitzhak Shamir referenced in his speech to the Knesset about the “special relationship” the U.S. and Israel share and supporting

Trump only hurts the continued relationship.

As a Jew in the United States, I want to support Trump’s actions because they directly influence the wellbeing of my family in Israel and the wellbeing of the State of

Israel. That being said, the damning connection between future support for Israel and the

Trump administration isn’t the only concern. Supporting the Trump administration affects the people targeted by Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric; for example, myself as a

62 naturalized immigrant to the U.S. Before the turning point during the conversation with my professor, I came to the conclusion that actions speak louder than words. I figured that since Trump was manifesting physical change in Israel it superseded ideological bigotry in the U.S. After doing research I found myself rethinking that conclusion. One specific image called out to me and influenced me to change my mind.

Figure 8. Andrew Shurtleff, "Scenes From the Deadly Unrest in Charlottesville," TIME.com, last modified August 12, 2017, https://time.com/charlottesville-white- nationalist-rally-clashes/ .

The image above was taken on August 11, 2017, the night before the clashes with counter-protesters in Charlottesville, VA. Compared to the images of the car plowing through the crowd or the bloody interactions between protesters and counter-protesters, a group of white males standing with lit torches seems less impactful. It was when I thought about the chants that were sung by the protesters, “Jews will not replace us,”

“white power,” and “blood and soil” that I realized these were the faces of the people

63 chanting those slogans. These are the faces of the individuals that find justification in

Trump’s vague statements. This is the voter constituency Trump refused to alienate on national television. And these are the people I risk emboldening by defending facets of

Trump’s administration. The image contextualized other images from the rally like the one below.

Figure 9. Ryan M. Kelly, "Scenes From the Deadly Unrest in Charlottesville," TIME.com, last modified August 12, 2017, https://time.com/charlottesville-white- nationalist-rally-clashes/ .

The individuals being thrown by the vehicle that plowed into counter-protesters are living evidence of the impact supporting Trump can have. Individuals who may be Jewish, black, Hispanic or any person targeted by radical right-wing organizations face the physical manifestations from the White Supremacists Trump emboldens. Seeing the association develop as the result of each policy passed called me to work to dissociate

64 what I saw as something that hindered the path toward the Jewish commitment to cultivating the wisdom of Limitless Light.

In my vision of a perfect world, administrations would continue to show unequivocal support for Israel through their policy. What I realized through looking at

Trump’s language was, a possible association connecting Israeli support and White

Supremacy was ultimately more damning than beneficial. The optimal route towards manifesting a reality where Israel and the U.S. enjoy a continued “special relationship” is not through Trump.

65

CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION

The introduction of this thesis referenced an anecdote from How to Cure a

Fanatic , by Amos Oz, where he talks about the necessity of perseverance. The anecdote explains, if there is a fire one must do whatever they can to extinguish the fire, even if their only instrument to shovel water is a teaspoon. Oz speaks to the importance of perseverance no matter the perceived impact of one’s effort. If everyone gives up on account of their lackluster impact, the fire will inevitably burn onward. It may be the case that I will never get to the point of extinguishing a flame, but at the most basic level this thesis worked toward bringing humanity toward what I see as repairing the world ( Tikun

Olam ).

This thesis developed the notion of the call through conducting an analysis comparing the effect of Trump’s language and his administration’s policy on future support of Israel. Chapter one utilized historical data in conjunction with religious anecdotal context to present a unique manifestation of the rhetorical phenomenon known as the call. The call pervades the lived experience and pulls individuals in the direction of their moral compass. The call can take many forms, ranging from a brief nudge to a lifelong hunger. The call represents a subliminal declaration of what is and the implications of the disclosed reality. The call can be a deeply spiritual voice. Throughout the five books of the Torah, God calls to individuals looking for a response, to which individuals respond assuring God that they are by his side. In that way, the call can function discursively. It is a bringing forth that necessitates action. Many events in my life called me to the defense of Israel, most notably my father. His heroism and choice to

66 actively fight the flight 11 hijackers despite the circumstances compels me to do the same when I witness injustice. Chapter one noted that Trump’s position as a bastion of pro-

Israelism called me to defend against such an injustice.

Chapter two detailed all the necessary information to understand the background for Trump’s pro-Israel policy without discussing the policy itself. In order to understand the implications of Trump’s specific Israel-related policy, significant historical background is required. The history relevant in understanding five major Israel-related policies enacted under the Trump administration were examined: the Golan Heights recognition, the settlements reconciliation, the embassy move, the Peace to Prosperity proposal, and the brokerages of peace. Beginning with the first documents detailing the necessity for a Jewish homeland though the most recent attempts at providing lasting regional peace, the necessary history for each major policy was provided. Understanding why Trump’s policies were not simply good for Israel but ended longstanding crises is crucial in conceptualizing the severity of my call and the complexities involved.

Chapter three explained the details of Trump’s policies and how they fit at the end of the historical narrative detailed in chapter two. Focusing on Trump’s language was now in order. Case studies regarding White Supremacy, Racism, and Sexism provided the grounds for the claim that Trump was harmful for American support of Israel.

Chapter three also provided the warrant for the claim, explaining that when individuals break from patterns, they accrue associations with the new spectacles they linked themselves with. Trump’s fervent support of Israel was a clear deviation from previous

American policy and demonstrates the aforementioned associative phenomena at play.

Trump now created the association between his administration and pro-Israelism. I was

67 called to explore the reality behind Trump’s support for Israel due to his continued association with hateful ideology and the impact it could have on future American support of Israel.

The motivation behind defending Israel from association with Trumpism stems from the necessary nature of the “special relationship” for Israel’s survival. Firstly, the

U.S. is the only major roadblock between Israel and anti-Semitic nations across the globe.

Israel has been the subject of over 700 United Nations General Assembly resolutions and over 100 United Nations Security Council resolutions, first by a large magnitude. 80

Additionally, the United Nations has consistently attempted to perpetuate the Palestinian refugee status rather than ameliorate the conflict due to the influential anti-Semitic member states. The existence of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for

Palestinian Refugees is evidence of such anti-Semitic member states’ influence. No other refugee crisis has ever warranted the creation of their own agency within the U.N. nor extended refugee status past a few years. There is no other UN organization that only provides aid to a specific region. Since the creation of the UN, countless refugee crises have dwarfed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but have not received the same attention. In

1949 when the UNRWA was created, there were 750,000 Palestinian refugees. 81 Just two

80 “Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People - Non-UN Document - Question of Palestine ,” United Nations (United Nations), accessed October 2, 2020, https://www.un.org/unispal/document/peace-to- prosperity-a-vision-to-improve-the-lives-of-the-palestinian-and-israeli-people-us- government-peace-plan/ .

81 UNRWA, "PALESTINE REFUGEES," United Nations, n.d. https://www.unrwa.org/palestine- refugees#:~:text=The%20descendants%20of%20Palestine%20refugee,are%20eligible%2 0for%20UNRWA%20services .

68 years after the creation of the UN and two years before the creation the UNRWA, the

Partition of India yielded over 14 million refugees. 82 This warranted no specific attention from the UN. In the 50’s the Korean war yielded over 1 million refugees. This also warranted no specific attention from the U.N.. Modern conflicts more dramatically emphasize the anti-Semitic message the UNRWA communicates. There are currently over 5.6 million Syrian refugees and over 11 million Syrians that require humanitarian aid. 83 There is no explanation for the UNRWA and the global scrutiny placed upon Israel besides anti-Semitism.

Secondly, the assistance received from the U.S. in the form of economic, military, and intangible aid have sustained Israel’s wellbeing and regional security. From 1948-

2020 Israel received $146 billion (non-inflation adjusted) from the U.S. making it the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II. 84 Since then

Israel and the U.S. have enjoyed a policy of military cooperation and concurrent development. Losing their “special relationship” could jeopardize Israel’s military cooperation with the U.S. and subsequently its regional operational superiority. Due to the history of surprise all-out war between a confederate of bordering nations and Israel,

82 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, "3 Rupture in South Asia," in The State of the World's Refugees, 2000: Fifty Years of Humanitarian Action (Geneva: UNHCR, Oxford University Press, 2000).

83 Kathryn Reid, "Syrian refugee crisis: Facts, FAQs, and how to help," World Vision, last modified March 11, 2021, https://www.worldvision.org/refugees-news- stories/syrian-refugee-crisis-facts#:~:text=BACK%20TO%20QUESTIONS- ,How%20many%20Syrian%20refugees%20are%20there%3F,people%20are%20displace d%20within%20Syria .

84 Jeremy M. Sharp, "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel," Congressional Research Service , November 2020, xx, https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33222.pdf .

69 it is of the utmost importance for Israel to maintain regional military supremacy and therefore its “special relationship.”

The U.S.’s crucial role in Israeli survival demonstrates how beneficial the Trump administration’s policy would have been toward Israel. The very country that provides the means for Israel’s defense acknowledged crucial contested regional developments that secured Israel’s safety. The fact that Israel expressed certain occupied areas were crucial for their survival, and the U.S. had not recognized them as part of Israel exposes the uncomfortable position Israel endured. That being said, brief amicable policy can never be equivalent to general U.S. support of the State of Israel. As the United States moves away from hateful leadership and works toward more linguistically amicable administrations, Trump’s administration will be blighted. The association between

Trump’s rhetoric and his administrations uniquely pro-Israel policy endangers the blighting of future radically pro-Israel policy changes. Aside from the Trump administration’s inflammatory rhetoric, foreign policy was the main development during the administration. Keeping this in mind, the importance of my call toward Israeli survival cannot be understated.

Going forward, continuing to safeguard American support for Israel is a crucial facet of my call. Identifying whether future administrations espouse lackluster support for

Israel and drawing connections between the policies that manifest as a result will be crucial in determining whether Trump’s harmful associations were the catalyst. If

Trump’s rhetoric did create a sub-conscious association between bigotry and pro-

Israelism, I again will be called to rectify something I see as dissonant. This cycle is why the call that compelled me to write this thesis is lifelong.

70

My lifelong call to the defense of Israel is a very personal one. My father’s final acts of heroism, while facing organizations still aiming at destroying Israel today, fueled my passion. The same people that my father fought and fell to are the people that benefit from Trump’s rhetoric dividing America and Israel. The same people that issued the ruling, “to kill the Americans and their [Zionist] allies” 85 are the same people that will continue to threaten the “western” world’s wellbeing. My father already spent his life combating these individuals and now it is my turn to go forth and do the same.

85 “Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders: World Islamic Front Statement ,” World Islamic Front Statement Urging Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders, accessed October 2, 2020, https://fas.org/irp/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm .

71

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Itamar Lewin-Arundale

617-849-3343 Boston, MA [email protected]

EDUCATION ______

Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem, NC Graduated August 2018 Bachelor of Arts in Communications, Bachelor of Arts in History

° Department of Communication GPA: 3.77 ° Dean’s List, Featured Scholar for Communication in Wake Forest’s newspaper ° E-Board Member, Co-Finance Chair, and Recruitment Chair of the Wake Forest Sigma Phi Epsilon NC Zeta Chapter ° Assisted in planning and executing 2018 Wake Argumentation Conference, a premier communications conference attracting graduate-level scholars from universities across the Southeast

Wake Forest University, Master of Arts in Communication – Emphasis on Terrorism and the Middle East ° Master’s Thesis Title: A Call to Defend: A Rhetorical Analysis of Donald Trump’s Support of Israel

EXPERIENCE______

Teaching Assistant, Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem NC August 2019-2021 ° Public Speaking ° Empirical Research Methods and Design ° Interpersonal Communication

Property Investment and Flipping Assistant, Privately Funded, Boston MA September 2018-Present ° Involved in all stages of property flipping, including but not limited to project planning, budgeting, cabinetry, repair work, tiling, and painting ° Performed market research to advise strategic investment and provided recommendations for business management of the existing portfolio of properties ° Properties sold in 2018 returned over 200% returns on investments

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Marketing and Development Intern, AC Designs, Boston MA 2015-Present ° Responsible for AC Designs’ online presence such as social media posts and YouTube campaign resulting in entries with over 1.5 million views. ° Developed proficiency in web design, Microsoft Office Suite, and video editing

Marketing and Investment Intern, Choate Investment Advisors, Boston MA May-July 2017 ° Redesigned and maintained the website of firm with over $4 Billion AUM resulting in a completely new reconstructed web-page ° Analyzed data and reported on prospects of marketing investments

PUBLICATIONS______

° Louden, A., Lewin-Arundale, I., et al. (In Press, 2021). Biden v. Trump: How Political Advertisements Shaped the 2020 Presidential Race? Wake Forest University.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT______

° Saint Bernard project - (hurricane relief work) – New Orleans ° Union Beach community service – Union Beach, NJ ° Wake Speaks-Winston-Salem, NC

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