2020, Israel, and the consequences of our votes: Eric Greitens

Guest op-ed by Eric Greitens, candidate for U.S. senate.

For American friends of Israel, we are seeing now the brutal consequences of having Democrats in power. 

A short time ago, we watched as passenger planes embarked on inaugural flights from Arab nations and landed in Israel as a result of the Trump Administration’s peace deals, the Abraham Accords. 

As Hamas missiles rain down on Israel, it is crystal clear that going forward we need to elect fighters who have the necessary fortitude to stand strong with our allies.

Vital steps toward widespread normalization between Israel and the Arab world were the direct result of these historic, Trump-brokered peace deals. President Trump, Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz have been rightly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in bringing about peace in the Middle East.

Sadly, we now watch in horror, just months later, as something more sadly familiar lands in Israel: deadly missiles targeting civilians. The immediate and dramatic pivot away from Israel by the Biden Administration has reignited the Israeli – Palestinian conflict in a way we haven’t seen since the last inept Democrat administration.

President Donald J. Trump began his America First mission with the prudent understanding that, as he put it, “America First does not mean America alone.”

Through his historic acts of relocating America’s Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, he sent the world a clear message: America stands with Israel. 

President Trump went further in supporting Israel and challenging the conventional orthodoxy while planting the seeds of peace.

Unlike the great majority of other Western leaders, who prefer taking a “stand-back” or “lead-from-behind” approach to the Middle East conflict, President Trump showed unequivocal strength. 

He cut off America’s unconditional financial support to the Palestinian Authority and demanded that American aid dollars must equate to decency and peace.

He also recognized Israel’s military responses were not a provocation of violence, but instead a measured and retaliatory show of self-defense against terror organizations and extremists openly committed to wiping the Jewish nation, and Jewish people, from the face of the earth.

While President Trump was able to stand strong with Israel, that did not preclude him from also treating the nation’s Arab neighbors with dignity and respect. 

In doing so, the Trump Administration was able to broker common ground, leveraging the strength of America First to achieve historic Middle East peace deals.

Sadly, the consequences of America’s 2020 elections have quickly rippled across the world and our great ally, Israel, is now under siege.

The Biden Administration has abandoned the policies and posture that incubated peace and secured the region. Instead, Joe Biden quickly began funding the Palestinian Authority. 

At best, the Biden Administration is now subsidizing terror against our greatest ally, Israel, and at worst they are funding those activities directly. 

The Biden team have also started playing footsie with the terror regime in Iran, signaling that they want to go back to the disastrous Iran nuclear deal.

With Hamas’ direct ties to the Palestinian Authority and Iran, and the Biden Administration’s recent capitulations to both, it’s undeniable that these attacks are a direct result of Biden’s weakness.

This is why we need fighters in Congress who have experience in the region, who are committed to the Jewish community, and who have the strength to stand against the left’s anti-semitism. We cannot afford to support more Republicans who parrot establishment talking points. America needs bold leadership.

In 2022, we have the opportunity to put the Biden Administration in check, reaffirm America’s commitment to our allies, and fight back against any evil that stands in the way of peace. 

Eric Greitens is a Navy SEAL who served in the middle East, the former Governor of Missouri, and current US Senate candidate.