Trump or Clinton
“The question of whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be better for Israel comes down to the question of what Israel wants from the US.” That is the view of Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute and former senior White House official, who addressed the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies’ (JBOD) AGM on August 16.
“THE question of whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be better for Israel comes down to the question of what Israel wants from the US.”
That is the view of Michael Singh, managing director of the Washington Institute and former senior White House official, who addressed the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies’ (JBOD) AGM on August 16.
“Israel needs help from the US countering Iran and its proxies, including ISIS,” Singh said.
A major concern for Israel, according to Singh, is the rise of ISIS on Israeli borders. Noting that the presence of ISIS factions in the Sinai region and in the Golan Heights has the IDF on permanent alert, Singh said, “Israel would like to see the US help vulnerable Israeli allies in the region, such as Egypt, and Israel needs help with missile defences.”
At any given moment, there are more than 100,000 Hezbollah precise missiles pointed at Israel.
“I also believe Israel would like the US to take on a role of regional leadership, and facilitate meetings between Israel and countries with common interests,” said Singh. “So the question is – can Trump or Clinton do any of these things?”
Singh explained that Clinton is facing an uphill battle against Democrats who do not recognise that there cannot be a return to the original peace process because it’s unrealistic. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs new approaches to the core issues, and Clinton must facilitate those, he said.
Trump, meanwhile, has less of a challenge with Republican voters, who are already largely pro-Israel. However, his foreign policies reflect the values of retrenchment and -isolationism.
“Trump would act with overwhelming force against any direct threat to the US, and then withdraw. So the concern there is that a vacuum would be left, and the US would not help stabilise the region in the aftermath,” Singh said.
“What we’ve learnt is that being a president means more than bombing,” he said.
“Israel needs the US to have patience, to help restore stability to the Middle East, to strengthen Israeli allies and – if and when ISIS is defeated – to stop new terror groups popping up in its place.”
Singh finished on a note of hope, however, saying, “I have no doubt Israel will continue to survive no matter what happens in the US election. And we want to see Israel not just survive, but thrive.”
The AGM also saw the appointment of Lesli Berger as JBOD vice-president, who succeeds Isabelle Shapiro. Berger joins Yaron Finkelstein in the role.
YAEL BRENDER
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