Caroline Glick, a prominent Israeli commentator, sees former President Donald Trump’s return to the White House as an “extraordinary opportunity” for Israel to achieve its strategic goals in the region. However, she cautions that Israel must move quickly and carefully to capitalize on the shift in U.S. leadership.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Israeli news outlets Arutz Sheva and Israel365, Glick discussed the implications of Mr. Trump’s victory for Israel’s long-running conflict with Iran and its proxies. She argued that the Biden administration had “blocked” Israel from taking more aggressive action, such as eliminating the Hamas regime in Gaza or Hezbollah’s strongholds in Lebanon.
“Until now, Israel has pursued a path of moving forward strategically but not actually achieving our strategic goals, because at every turn the Biden administration has blocked us from doing so,” Ms. Glick said.
With Mr. Trump back in power, she believes Israel has an opportunity to “win the war” against Iran and its allies. She urged the Israeli government to move quickly to destroy Iran’s nuclear installations, something Mr. Trump had previously encouraged.
However, Ms. Glick warned that the transition period would be fraught with challenges. She expects the lame-duck Biden administration to push for “a series of anti-Israel resolutions at the U.N. Security Council” in a last-ditch effort to constrain Israel’s actions.
Beyond the immediate concerns, Ms. Glick stressed the need for Israel to use this moment to build a lasting strategic partnership with the United States that can outlast the Trump presidency. She called for Israel to have “the people in place in positions in Washington and in Jerusalem” who can implement a policy that secures Israel’s alliance with the U.S. for the long term.
The path forward, Ms. Glick said, is not without risks and difficulties. “It’s not going to be just all roses and sunshine,” she cautioned. But she believes the potential rewards of victory against Israel’s enemies make the effort worthwhile.
“We have to understand the nature of the opportunity that a Trump administration, that an incoming Trump administration, presents for Israel,” Ms. Glick said. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity that we were granted by the grace of G-d, but we have to understand its nature, we have to understand what we need, and we have to have the people in place to actually implement a policy that will secure Israel’s alliance with the United States.”
