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Can it strongly influence the US President’s policy and what to expect in the Middle East?
In the current inner circle of the newly elected president, there are many people who support Israel — and they are not only ethnic Jews. How much influence can they have on Trump’s policies?
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Already during Trump’s first presidency, his daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism, together with her Jewish husband Jared Kushner, worked actively in her father’s administration. In addition to Jared holding the position of presidential adviser and participating in the conclusion of the «Abraham Accords», the couple was the Jewish face of the Trump administration, organizing Jewish holidays in the White House and hosting Shabbat gatherings. After Trump’s loss in 2020, Jared and Ivanka announced that they were stepping away from political activism, but now that Trump is president again, it’s possible that the couple will return to politics. There are rumors that Kushner will establish ties with loyal Arab countries.
Elise Stefanik. US Permanent Representative to the UN. An active supporter of Israel, she rebuked the presidents of US universities where anti-Jewish rallies were held, stating: «The U.S. must unconditionally help Israel win the war to achieve complete triumph».
Pete Hegseth. The Secretary of Defense, an evangelical Christian, served in the US Army and worked as a Fox News host. Hegseth strongly supported the elimination of Iranian IRGC General Soleimani and believes that the US should join Israel in confronting Iran.
Pete is generally an ardent supporter of Israel, declaring that the idea of «two states» is effectively dead and blaming Hamas for the deaths of Gaza residents. Hegseth also claimed that the term «innocent Palestinians» is used purely as propaganda to blame Israel: «Today, Americanism and Zionism are the main outposts of Western civilization and freedom… They symbolize the eternal union between faith and freedom, as well as loyalty to religious tradition — as opposed to secularism, anti-Semitism and Islamism».
«On my biceps is the tattoo ‘Deus Vult’ — ‘God Wills It’ — the motto of the Crusaders… On my chest is the cross of Jerusalem. Israel, Christianity and my faith are dear to me», the future Pentagon chief once said in an interview.
Mike Huckabee. The U.S. Ambassador to Israel, a Baptist pastor, and an ardent supporter of Israel who first visited the Holy Land at the age of 11 and is a certified guide in Israel.
Because the Baptist Church supports Israel, Huckabee, who opposes the idea of «two states for two peoples», has not been silent on the issue. In the past, he has stated that a Palestinian state should be created on the territory of one of the Arab states neighboring Israel.
Huckabee’s stance on Iran is strongly negative:
«The U.S. must be a nation of principles when dealing with the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, and we must make it clear that we do not intend to do business with them because they are bandits and murderers. We do not intend to interfere in Iran’s internal affairs, but if there is a revolution there, we will support and encourage it because the Iranian government is the embodiment of evil».
Steven Witkoff. The new US special envoy to the Middle East. This Jewish magnate was born in the Bronx into a Jewish family of women’s coat manufacturers, studied law at Hofstra University and then worked in a law firm where he met Donald Trump — the latter was a client of the firm. He later got into real estate, became successful, and amassed a huge fortune.
Witkoff is a longtime golfing partner of Trump and was with him when an assassination attempt was made on Trump at his West Palm Beach golf club. He was elected chairman of the inaugural committee for Trump’s upcoming second presidency.
Now, Witkoff serves as a liaison between Trump and Jewish business circles, especially after President Joe Biden halted the delivery of heavy weapons to Israel. «It’s been a noticeable shift», Witkoff told The Bulwark in May. «In the last two weeks, I’ve personally helped bring in major Jewish donors. And I’m not talking about four-figure donations, but six- and seven-figure donations».
Apparently, Witkoff is a supporter of Israel and an opponent of Iran.
Stephen Miller. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the presidential administration. One of the most influential people in Trump’s circle, who made a significant contribution to his victory. He is 39 years old and his parents have roots in Belarus. He was raised Jewish and is considered a great friend of Israel.
During Trump’s first term, he was his speechwriter and political advisor. It is said that he is behind the most radical decisions regarding Muslims who are in the US illegally.
In an interview with Fox News, Miller said that Trump would start deporting illegal immigrants immediately after taking office.
David Melech Friedman. US Ambassador to Israel during Trump’s first term. He played a crucial role in moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. He is also a supporter of Israel’s annexation of Judea and Samaria. Now he will give up the post of ambassador to Israel to Mike Huckabee, but it’s said he won’t be out of work and will unofficially oversee the Israeli direction of the US State Department.
Miriam Adelson. The 78-year-old Tel Aviv native is the widow of billionaire and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. Miriam herself is considered a very influential figure in the Republican Party. She has a longstanding friendship with Trump. She donated $100 million to his campaign and represented Donald Trump in meetings with Jewish voters. She lobbied Trump to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel, and withdraw the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal.
Their list of demands for a second Trump presidency includes support for Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank. But in the first presidential debate in June, Trump refused to answer whether he supported the creation of an independent Palestinian state. «I have to think about it», he said.
Boris Epshteyn. Special Envoy for Ukraine. Born in Moscow 42 years ago, Boris Epshteyn is one of Trump’s closest advisers, who has been in direct contact with him since 2016.
During the 2020 election, Epshteyn served as Trump’s unofficial liaison to the Jewish community, denouncing «hateful radical Democrats». He has pleaded not guilty to nine criminal charges in the Arizona in-person voter fraud case, and his trial is scheduled for January 2026.
Howard Lutnick. Secretary of Commerce in the president-elect’s administration. The 63-year-old billionaire Lutnick is considered a «shadow cardinal» of Trump, participating in the formation of his team. He played one of the key roles during the campaign and even spoke on behalf of Trump in the media.
He supports many pro-Israel projects, sponsoring «United Hatzalah» and «Taglit», programs that fund visits to Israel by young people with Jewish roots. He accompanied Donald Trump to the tomb of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in New York.
Lee Michael Zeldin. Head of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. For Zeldin, his Jewish roots and everything related to Judaism and Israel are very important. Trump and the Republicans are counting on Zeldin in New York, where the former gubernatorial candidate received significant support from Jews in 2022. He is the chairman of Leadership America Needs PAC, an organization that raises money for Republicans. He believes that the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent pro-Palestinian protests across the U.S. have forced American Jews to «start voting more openly for Republicans than ever before».
Will Scharf. The 38-year-old personal lawyer will be the Secretary of the White House Staff Office, a key position for managing the information that the president sees. The Staff Sec decides what reaches the president’s desk: draft decisions, briefing materials, lists of potential candidates, intelligence reports, correspondence, speech drafts, etc. He always accompanies the President on all working trips.
Will Scharf was born into an Orthodox family in New York, grew up in Florida, and attends a Chabad synagogue on Shabbat. He is the co-founder of Jews Against Soros, which opposes Jewish leftists who share Soros’s views.
Laura Loomer. While her candidacy is not currently being considered for any key positions, she is close to Trump; in 2020, he supported her congressional bid. Trump even wanted to include her on his campaign team, but PR advisors dissuaded him, fearing that her harsh comments about Muslims could alienate potential voters. However, Loomer was still involved in the campaign and even flew with Trump on his plane to campaign events, including in Philadelphia. It’s clear that she will be involved in political life and will always be on Israel’s side.
Sid Rosenberg. His candidacy is also not currently being considered for any key positions. The 57-year-old radio journalist once voted for Hillary Clinton, but then became a staunch Trump supporter. He supported Trump during the campaign and brought him many voters due to his popularity.
American media suggest that he won’t be left without a position. Rosenberg is an ardent supporter of Israel; he flew there on a «solidarity visit» after the events of October 7, 2023.
Stephen Schwarzman. The 77-year-old billionaire and head of the Blackstone Group, Knight of the Order of the British Empire, was born into a Jewish family in Pennsylvania. In his youth he loved ballet. In 2007, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He served as Secretary of Commerce under President Richard Nixon. He led the Strategic and Policy Forum during Trump’s first presidency. While he’s unlikely to take an official position, his influence on the new administration’s economic direction will be felt.
Elizabeth Pipko. The 26-year-old daughter of immigrants from the Soviet Union and granddaughter of a famous artist, who actively worked on Trump’s election campaign, was considered for the position of head of the White House press service, but this post was given to Caroline Leavitt. Nevertheless, analysts are sure that she will get an important position in Trump’s administration. Formerly a top model on the covers of glossy magazines, she studied at a Jewish school in Manhattan. She has been involved in campaigns to support Israel and combat anti-Semitism. She is so close to the president’s circle that her wedding took place at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s estate in Florida. In 2019, Elizabeth founded the «Exodus» movement, a political organization that encourages American Jews — who have traditionally supported the Democratic Party for many years — to switch to the Republican camp.
Conclusions:
Only people who deeply believe in the theory of an international Zionist conspiracy can think that the Trump administration will now carry out Israel’s will. Nothing of the sort. Yes, the US is Israel’s staunchest ally, but America will first and foremost do what is beneficial to itself. And Trump will do what benefits him.
We should not forget that in this election the majority of Muslim Americans, dissatisfied with Biden’s Middle East policy, voted for Trump. Therefore, neither Trump nor the Republican Party can afford to lose their trust. I am confident that in the near future, even before Trump takes office, every effort will be made to stop the war in Lebanon. In addition, the Gaza issue will be resolved to some extent, because Trump must come to his inauguration as a peacemaker — a strong leader capable of solving the most complex issues. All the people with Jewish roots in his new administration will use their connections in Israel to force Netanyahu to cease hostilities.
The assumption that his son-in-law Jared Kushner — the son of one of the leaders of the Jewish community in New York, who managed US Middle East policy — would continue in this role has already been dispelled by Kushner himself, who announced that he would not join the new presidential administration. It’s possible that another daughter, Tiffany, who married the son of Lebanese billionaire Massad Boulos, a Christian who does business in Nigeria, will now influence Middle East policy on a family level. Massad Boulos reportedly played a significant role in encouraging American Muslims to vote for Trump.
Perhaps the Jewish son-in-law on the one hand and the Lebanese on the other will lead Trump to a balanced policy in the Middle East?