Today, frozen Washington celebrates. To its credit, every January 20, once every four years, the inauguration of the president at Capitol Hill becomes a national holiday for democracy (the second-largest in the world after India).
The American people's verdict on November 5, 2024, was clear. Both in the Electoral College (226–312) and the popular vote (75 million to 77 million). Donald Trump will become the second president in US history to return to the White House for a second, non-consecutive term. Most Israelis fondly remember his first presidency, spanning January 2017 to January 2021.
Factually, President Trump and his administration stood unwaveringly alongside Israel throughout his first term.
Four landmark achievements defined his tenure: the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, the "Pompeo Declaration" (announced by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo) affirming that settlements in Judea and Samaria do not violate international law, and the signing of the Abraham Accords, which established unprecedented peace agreements between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, and later Morocco. Several additional Muslim nations came close to formalizing normalization agreements with Israel during that period.
Today, President Trump will begin his second term. As I previously predicted, and publicly noted, the prisoner exchange deal was finalized before January 20. In many ways, the start of Trump's second term echoes Ronald Reagan's inauguration after replacing Jimmy Carter. On January 20, 1981, over 50 American hostages were released from Iran, 444 days after their capture in Tehran. Tomorrow marks exactly 44 years since that historic event.
The contrasting perspectives between the outgoing and incoming administrations are already evident. While comprehensive analyses of intergovernmental dynamics may take years, differences in their approaches to Israel are apparent today. Even before his official swearing-in tomorrow, President Trump shifted the pressure from Israel to Hamas. Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken himself admitted in a striking and essential interview that "each time pressure was placed on Israel, Hamas backed out of the deal."
The issue of arms procurement may also take a turn. Restrictions imposed by our ally for various reasons must come to an end.
The decision to suspend flights by US airlines from destinations across the country to Ben-Gurion Airport is also nearing resolution. From the outset, the decision was sweeping and extreme. Unfortunately, no diplomatic pressure was applied by the outgoing administration on US airlines, making them the last to resume flights to Israel. Now, the time for their reinstatement approaches.
The Abraham Accords are also expected to be reinvigorated soon. Israel has always aimed to expand peace and normalization agreements as widely as possible with any Arab state willing to engage. Barring unforeseen changes, Israelis, and the world, can expect the announcements of new agreements, some of them surprising, with additional Muslim nations within the coming year.
The writer is the Consul General of Israel in New York.
