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| Thought to be alive as a hostage Omer Neutra was killed on October 7 (CNN) |
Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East - But it’s all talk and no action! Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity.
What a refreshing change from all the handwringing about Israel making a deal with Hamas.
I of course understand where all this angst is coming from. The innocent Israelis taken hostage by Hamas over a year ago has surely caused an untold level of anxiety among their families over the fate of their loved ones. Not knowing whether they are still alive or what their physical and/or mental condition is. I can’t begin to image what it must be like for a parent to have to live with these thoughts 24/7 for well over a year. They want a deal and want it now. Any deal that will bring their loved ones home. They cannot be faulted for that.
Bringing the hostages back home to their families has been the primary focus of US and Israel negotiators. Netanyahu has been willing to accept one of the most lopsided exchanges of Palestinian prisoners (with blood on their hands) for kidnapped innocent hostages ever made. But Hamas has consistently rejected it. Something the US has been saying everytime they are asked about it. Although acknowledging that Netanyahu cold do more.
And yet the media keeps talking about how Netanyahu cares more about winning the war than he does about the hostages... for his own personal reasons. Often focusing on those hostage families that see him that way. Implying that all the hostage families feel like that. Which is clearly not the case.
But now for the first time since the war began, the focus has shifted. Israel was not even mentioned by Trump. He is not interested in Israel releasing terrorists for hostages. He is placing the onus where it belongs. On Hamas. And he has given them an ultimatum. An ultimatum that only the Commander and Chief of the most powerful military in the world can make with any conviction: Release the hostages or there will be Hell to pay. NOTHING about negotiations.
Trump haters will immediately pounce on that and say Trump’s comments are worthless. He will never send a single soldier anywhere near Gaza. It’s just Trump being Trump... making threats that have no backing to them.
Thing is, that is not how Netanyahu and Gazans are reacting. As noted in a Jerusalem Post headline and sub headline:
Netanyahu, Israeli leaders praise Trump’s 'all hell to pay' vow, Gazans fear the worst
"President Trump put the emphasis in the right place, on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government," Netanyahu said.
I don’t know if this is going to lead anywhere. But if Gazans are fearing the worst, it may very well lead to something good.
I am quite pleased with what the president-elect has done so far with respect to his policy on Israel. The people he has chosen who will most affect Israel are the most pro Israel in the history of of the US relationship with Israel.
And this latest statement is yet another indication how much he cares about the Jewish state and the welfare of its people. And he hasn’t even assumed office yet.
The choice of his Lebanese Christian Mechutan to reach out the wider Arab community in the Middle East for purposes of advancing the Abraham Accords is yet another pro Israel feather in his cap.
As a realist and pragmatist, I never thought during the election to predict what Trump’s policies toward Israel might be in a second term. But knowing how pro Israel he was in his first term gave me hope that he would continue along those lines. And so far he did not disappoint.
What comes next remains to be seen. But as I have always said about Trump, he may be a scoundrel on so many levels. He might give misleading impressions about his beliefs and prejudices. But the one thing that I am pretty sure of is that there hasn’t been this level of support for Israel in the Executive Branch in the entire history of Israel’s existence.
I am confident that the rest of his foreign policy (such as how to deal with Iran) will be just as good.
What about the fact that our allies hate him? Could not care less if they do. As long as they respect him. And as his tactic with NATO has shown that kind of respect produced results. They are now paying their share of NATO expenses. His tariff threats against Mexico and Canada have also borne fruit. Mexico will no longer allow caravans of foreign immigrants to enter the US. And both Trump and Trudeau just reported a very productive meeting. Again – all this before he even re-assumes occupancy of the Oval Office
I am equally confident that his conservative domestic policies (e.g. clamping down on illegal immigration, deregulation, and low corporate taxes) will bring this country more safety and unprecedented prosperity.
Any additional Supreme Court Justices he might have an opportunity to choose will be conservative and surely continue to be more protective of religious rights. That will hopefully begin to bring an end to the moral decline the US has been descending upon for decades.
What about climate change? His closest confidant at the moment has single handedly done more to reverse the effects of climate change than just about anyone else. Ever hear of Tesla?
What about all the revenge he promised he would take after he takes office? Election hyperbole. In my view - not gonna happen.
What about his horrible character and lack of personal ethics? What about the poor image he presents as the leader of the free world? Well, you can’t have everything
So on balance - what I can see for the future from here... is pretty darn good. Are all of his polices perfect? No. But I sure like what I see so far.