Trump Claims He Could 'Easily' Be Israeli PM, Says U.S. Jews Unappreciative

Former President Donald Trump faced criticism on Sunday for saying Jewish people living in the United States are not "appreciative" of his support for Israel.

The Trump administration portrayed itself as a staunch ally of Israel, supporting policies viewed as favorable to Israeli leaders such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. However, that support did not necessarily translate to support from Jewish individuals in the U.S.—many of whom either hold more complex views on Israel and vote for Democrats, who also generally support Israel.

Trump, in a Truth Social post on Sunday morning, questioned why more Jewish Americans did not support his presidential bids. The former president remained deeply unpopular among the Jewish community, with only 22 percent of Jewish Americans saying they would vote for him, according to an October 2020 Survey of American Jewish Opinion poll.

"No President has done more for Israel than I have," Trump wrote. "Somewhat surprisingly, however, our wonderful Evangelicals are far more appreciative of this than the people of the Jewish faith, especially those living in the U.S."

He continued to say that Jewish people living in Israel are a "different story" in terms of their approval of him. According to the Pew Research Center, Israelis overwhelmingly trusted Trump to "do the right thing regarding world affairs." In 2019, 71 percent of Israelis said they trusted the then-president.

"Highest approval rating in the World, could easily be P.M.! U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel - Before it is too late!" he wrote.

Jonathan Greenblatt, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO and national director, condemned Trump's remarks in a statement to Newsweek on Sunday.

"We don't need the former president, who curries favor with extremists and antisemites, to lecture us about the US-Israel relationship. It is not about a quid pro quo; it rests on shared values and security interests. This 'Jewsplaining' is insulting and disgusting," Greenblatt said.

Trump's social media post also quickly drew condemnation on Twitter, where "American Jews" trended Sunday morning.

"You really don't need to read between the lines much on this one — Trump has no concept of American Jews as a community that lives and prospers here with an identity and interests that are distinct from the concerns of the State of Israel," tweeted commentator Matthew Yglesias.

"Nothing to see here. Just a former US president using threatening language about American Jews at a time when antisemitism is on a global rise," tweeted editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, Yaakov Katz.

"And here's Trump adding fuel to the antisemitic dumpster fire by demanding American Jews show loyalty to him because of Israel," tweeted Aviva Klompas, founder of Israeli think tank Boundless. "And he tops it all off with a veiled threat."

Trump Faced Rebuke Over Past Comments on Jewish Americans

Trump's Sunday comments are not the first time he has faced criticism for his remarks on Jewish Americans.

In June 2021, Trump said Jewish Americans "don't love Israel enough" in an interview with Ami Magazine, an international publication geared toward the Orthodox Jewish community in which he said he was "surprised" about receiving only a small percentage of the Jewish vote.

He also faced accusations of playing into antisemitic tropes for remarks he made while speaking at the Israeli American Council's National Summit in December 2019.

"A lot of you are in the real estate business because I know you very well. You're brutal killers, not nice people at all. But you have to vote for me, you have no choice," he said. "You're not going to vote for the wealth tax. Yeah, let's take 100 percent of your wealth away."

Newsweek reached out to Trump's office for comment.

Updated 10/16/2022 2:00 p.m. ET: This story was updated with statement from the Anti-Defamation League