Donald Trump dominates Israeli election as he in turn courts American Jewish voters for 2020 presidential run
- Trump has become a dominant factor in Tuesday’s Israeli election because of his close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
- He is also trying to court Jewish voters for his re-election campaign, pushing for a ‘Jexodus’ from the Democratic Party to the Republican side
Donald Trump has become a dominant factor in Tuesday’s Israeli election as the polling becomes a judgment on his close ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has won the post four times but now faces corruption charges.
In his battle for political survival, Netanyahu has aligned closely with Trump – a troubling tactic for the roughly 75 per cent of American Jewish voters who lean Democratic.
Meanwhile, Trump made his own case for American Jews on Saturday, as he pushed for them to back his re-election in a victory lap with Republican donors in Las Vegas.
Trump appeared at the annual meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition in support of his 2016 campaign, telling the crowd: “I know that the Republican Jewish Coalition will help lead our party to another historic victory. We need more Republicans. Let’s go, so we can win everything.”
Speaking at the meeting, Trump touted his precedent-shredding actions to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and recognition last month of Israeli sovereignty over the disputed Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that Israel seized from Syria in 1967.
“We got you something that you wanted,” Trump said of the embassy move, adding, “Unlike other presidents, I keep my promises.”