On fighting antisemitism and supporting Israel, Trump beats Harris by a mile - opinion

There are a host of issues at play in this presidential election. To many voters, there are more important issues than antisemitism and Israel. But to those who fear the unprecedented rise of Jew-hatred in this country and the existential risks facing the State of Israel, these issues loom large like never before.

Jews living in America whose attire and religious practices identify them as Jews, along with Jews living in Israel, are on the front lines of the respective waves of hatred and violence domestically and inside the Jewish state. Overwhelmingly, and for very good reasons, they prefer president Donald Trump to Vice President Kamala Harris. Here are the main reasons why.

1. Antisemitism at home

Fighting antisemitism requires an expansion of law enforcement and an aggressive campaign to deport anti-American and anti-Israel foreign agitators who have entered our country on false pretenses and invaded college campuses. America’s most elite universities have become ground zero for the advancement of an antisemitic, Marxist agenda.

President Trump wants these agitators out of our country and he will send them home. And those breaking the law will go to jail. Importantly, in December 2019, long before antisemitism exploded on college campuses, President Trump signed an executive order extending the reach of Title VI to antisemitic conduct. That means that universities receiving Federal funding (almost all do) will lose that assistance if they fail to protect their Jewish students from hatred and violence.

Vice President Harris has shown no interest in empowering law enforcement, holding back funding to offending universities or otherwise stopping the spread of antisemitism. In her meetings with far-left anti-Israel student groups, she has validated many of their false charges. The rise of domestic antisemitism has, of course, occurred on her watch.

2. The Hamas War

Since the brutal assault by Hamas on October 7, 2023, President Trump has been clear-eyed and unambiguous: Israel must be empowered to win the war as quickly and decisively as possible. Had Trump been in office, I believe that Israel’s impending victory would have occurred much sooner with a far better outcome for the hostages that remain in captivity by Hamas.

Harris has just been terrible. While she attempts to skate by with the platitude that “Israel has the right to defend itself” (what country doesn’t have that right?), she and her administration have handcuffed Israel’s operations and continue to withhold essential military assistance. Weeks went by as Harris and her team implored Israel not to enter Rafah. Fortunately, Netanyahu did not listen to her – Israel’s invasion of Rafah led to the discovery of massive smuggling tunnels on the Egyptian border and resulted in the killing of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas.

The recovery of some of Sinwar’s writings now establishes conclusively that the criticism of Israel by Biden and Harris influenced Sinwar to resist a deal for the return of the hostages.

3. Record on Israel

As president, Trump, simply put, was the best friend Israel ever had in the Oval Office. From moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and ensuring no daylight between the two allies, Trump has carved out for himself an exalted place in Israel’s history. Harris, in contrast, boycotted Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent speech to a Joint Session of Congress, has never visited Israel as vice-president and is a frequent critic of the Jewish state.

4. US relationship with Iran

When Trump left office, Iran was on the verge of bankruptcy and its chief architect of terror, Qasem Soleimani had been eliminated. Under Harris’s administration, key sanctions have been lifted against Iran, which has more than doubled its GDP. These extra billions of dollars have funded terror operations in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. All because of her failed policies.

5. Abraham Accords

The Trump administration brokered peace agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kosovo, referred to as the “Abraham Accords.” As Biden and Harris ascended to power, the opportunities to expand the Abraham Accords seemed limitless.

But instead of embracing the pro-Israel Trump policies that drove these agreements, Biden and Harris turned away from Israel and towards Iran. Their betrayal of Israel thrust the region into violence and upheaval and caused the Abraham Accords to stagnate.

By every metric, Trump is better than Harris on antisemitism and Israel. But the point should be made with even greater force. On these issues, Trump was the best president in history while Harris, if elected, undoubtedly would be the worst. The difference is that stark.