If you really want to do something, you will find a way to do it. If you do not want to do it, you will find an excuse not to. The Celebrate Israel Parade is a perfect example. The morning of the parade, I went outside and thought it would be a perfect day to go bike riding. I haven’t had many chances—mostly due to inclement weather—and this summer I will lose two Sundays because the fasts of Tisha B’Av and the 17th of Tammuz will be observed on Sundays.
However, I made the choice that showing support for Israel is more important. It is not only important because it sends a message to our fellow Jews, but it also sends a message to the rest of the world. A small crowd tells others that if Jews do not care, why should they?
I marched with two groups—one toward the beginning and the second near the end of the parade. For the first time, I marched with my high school, which was known then as MTA and is now called the Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy of Boys, as part of the Yeshiva University contingent. The YU Alumni Association had reached out to alumni, so I took them up on their offer.
Now to my main topic, which also relates to Israel. The Trump administration has shown that being a fellow democracy is no longer a key factor in shaping American policy. This shift was seen in how we handled relations with Canada and Europe. So, it should not be surprising that Trump is applying the same approach to Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.
Trump’s comments in Saudi Arabia—where he said that America does not interfere in the domestic matters of countries it deals with—imply that democracy no longer matters in U.S. foreign policy.
His trip continues a trend of changing American policy toward Israel and its enemies. When Israel wanted to bomb Iran to prevent it from developing a nuclear bomb, Trump stopped them. Instead, he is now working on a deal with Iran.
A long-standing U.S. policy, which Israel supported, was to have no direct talks with Hamas. The Trump administration broke from this, engaging with Hamas directly and without informing Israel. He also made a deal with the Houthis that the U.S. would not attack them—without requiring the Houthis to stop attacking Israel or ships connected to Israel. In fact, the Houthis continued attacking Israel, including Ben-Gurion Airport, without any response from the administration.
Israel has decided to increase its military action in Gaza to defeat Hamas, but the U.S. has not publicly supported this move. Instead, Trump has focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and has urged an end to the war.
Unlike in 2017, Trump did not visit Israel during his latest trip. Instead, he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Previously, he had criticized Qatar for supporting terrorist organizations such as Hamas. This time, he only had praise for Qatar and even accepted an aircraft as a gift from them.
As reported on the White House website, “The United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defense sales agreement in history—nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment.” I remember when the U.S. wanted to sell AWACS to Saudi Arabia—there was outrage in the Jewish community and in Congress. Now there is silence.
The U.S. will also allow technology companies like NVIDIA and AMD to sell advanced chips to a Saudi Arabian startup, a move that the Biden administration had previously opposed.
Trump even met with former terrorist Ahmad al-Sharaa, now the leader of Syria, and pledged to lift sanctions on Syria. None of this happened with Israel’s knowledge or support. Israel does not trust al-Sharaa.
Nothing that occurred during Trump’s trip helped Israel. None of the three countries he visited made any promises about their future relations with Israel. It did not seem to matter to Trump.
If everything comes down to money, Israel will lose. These Arab countries have vast financial resources and are willing to spend them.
This influence isn’t limited to diplomacy—it extends to business as well. Before Trump became president, Jared Kushner’s equity firm received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia’s Sovereign Wealth Fund. Since then, deals have continued. The Trump Organization has partnered on projects such as a Trump International Hotel & Tower in Dubai, a golf resort in Doha (with Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund’s real estate arm), and a Trump Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These projects are linked to Dar Global, a developer associated with the Saudi government. In addition, a stablecoin launched by the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial crypto venture is being used by an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm for its $2 billion investment in the crypto exchange Binance. In contrast, there are no significant deals between the Trump family business and Israel.
Trump supporters often point out the erosion of support for Israel among Democrats. But now, Trump himself is pulling away from Israel. This is a conclusion shared by people across the political spectrum. Jewish Trump supporters need to wake up and recognize what is happening. The only way to address these issues is to admit they exist. And admitting there is a problem is often the hardest step.
Israel needs bipartisan support—from both parties—to ensure it gets the protection and backing it needs. The fact that Trump once supported Israel doesn’t matter anymore. That was then. This is now.
Parades are important, but they are only one part of a coordinated strategy to help Israel.
Warren S. Hecht is a local attorney. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
