MOUNT HERMON, Israel — We were saying our thanks and goodbyes to the soldiers of Israel’s new alpine brigade when the commander appeared at the door of his headquarters: “Everybody to the shelter — there’s a warning.”
Everyone in the heavily-armed brigade marched into the nearby concrete shelter, just as civilians do.
A small group of American Christian supporters of Israel, whom I had accompanied, burst into song and prayer, lightening the mood.
In the distance, four booms were heard — not impacts, the soldiers explained, but rather the sound of “ours” — i.e. the Iron Dome interceptor missiles, hitting their targets. All that was left of the rockets were trails in the evening sky.
Still, despite the Iron Dome; despite the astonishing success of Israeli soldiers in Gaza and especially Lebanon; and despite Israel proving its ability to carry out attacks from Yemen to Iran, Israelis are weary after 413 days of war.
Many men have left their jobs, families, or studies for months on end for reserve duty. More than 60,000 people are still internal refugees after being evacuated from the northern border. And there are still 101 Israeli hostages in Gaza.
There is a bright side to all of this. A sense of national unity has persisted in spite of reemergent political fights. Poll after poll finds that Israelis are among the world’s happiest people, their lives given meaning by existential struggle.
The Israeli economy grew in the third quarter of 2024 at 3.8%, a robust pace. Israel had its best Olympics ever, and even placed well in the Eurovision song competition, a popular choice despite threats, boycotts, and intimidation.
Yet people also have a sense that the current situation is unsustainable.
It seems intolerable to have to worry about whether shrapnel — even from a successful missile defense — is going to rain down on your children’s playground.
There is a risk — not yet a serious one, but a growing one — that the war will grind down the Israelis’ morale, and force them to think about capitulating. That in fact is the core of the terrorists’ long-term strategy: lose now, but be patient.
And so Israelis are turning to President-elect Donald Trump for hope — even those not particularly inclined to like him.
A giant billboard in Jerusalem celebrates his return, like the Second Coming: “Welcome back, dear friend!”
Some in Israel, like nearly half of America, are incredulous that the U.S. could return Trump to office, given all of his baggage. But most Israelis also remember the Trump years fondly.
Not only did he fulfill his promise to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem; not only did he defund the Palestinian Authority, and other Palestinian groups, over their support for terror; not only did he recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel; but he also brought about peace.
It wasn’t just the Abraham Accords, the remarkable agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, which later expanded to include several other Arab and Muslim states. It was also the fact that Hamas and other Iran-backed terrorist groups were so quiet for four years.
Perhaps they were simply biding their time, and preparing for the moment to strike (in the next presidency). Perhaps Trump’s Iran sanctions choked off their cash.
Perhaps Israel’s enemies were afraid of him, and afraid that he would let Israel do whatever it needed to defend itself. Perhaps surrounding nations saw Trump’s dealmaking skill, and decided to let him persuade them to take advantage.
Whatever the reason — and all of the above could be valid — Israelis felt safer under Trump (as did Americans, until hysteria around the coronavirus gripped the world). Therefore, Israelis are hopeful about his upcoming presidency.
Trump promises to end the war in Lebanon — perhaps by pressuring Israel. He still wants a “deal of the century” with Palestinians. And he wants a new deal with Iran.
Yet Israelis trust him. He represents a strong America — and peace.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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