Netanyahu Welcomes Trump's Victory, Hamas Warns

The result of the elections on Tuesday, November 9, in the United States, which handed the keys to the White House to Donald Trump as the 45th President of the country, pleased Israeli politicians, especially Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister stated on Wednesday, November 10, in a statement: "The elected President, Trump, is a true friend of Israel; we will work together to advance security, stability, and peace in the region." According to Israeli media, Netanyahu added: "The strong relationship between the U.S. and Israel is based on shared values, interests, and destiny." He also expressed confidence that "President-elect Trump and I will strengthen the special alliance between Israel and the U.S. and take it to new heights." Palestinian media reported that Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, also issued a statement regarding Trump's victory, asking him to "work towards the establishment of a Palestinian state." Saeb Erekat and Nabil Abu Rudeineh, senior Palestinian officials, also stated early Wednesday in Ramallah that they expect Trump to respect previous U.S. commitments. However, the Hamas movement warned in a statement in Gaza: "The idea of forming a Palestinian state has ended with Trump's election... and Palestinians must adopt the path of resistance to achieve their demands." Meanwhile, reports from Israel indicated that Yuli Edelstein, the Speaker of the Knesset, was the first Israeli politician to express "joy" over Trump's victory, stating: "I truly believe that U.S.-Israel relations will be warmer than ever with President Trump in the White House." Naftali Bennett, leader of the 'Jewish Home' party and a minister in Netanyahu's coalition government, also said: "An opportunity has arisen to free ourselves from the establishment of a Palestinian state." In the days leading up to the U.S. elections, Netanyahu had stated that either of the two main candidates would be "good" for Israel. He also mentioned that he expected the elected president not to impose a peace plan on the Palestinians, but rather that Palestinians and Israelis should renew direct negotiations according to the "American principle." Meanwhile, Israeli media reported on Wednesday that despite all the "encouraging" signs regarding Trump's victory for Israel, the question remains whether he will fulfill his promises to Israel. Israeli media noted that the promises Trump made in the last days of his election campaign and through official statements from his advisors regarding Israel could, if realized, be a "blessing" for Netanyahu's government in Israel. On Monday, November 7, Trump reiterated his strong criticism of the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, stating that "the Obama presidency was a disaster for Israel." Netanyahu was one of the staunchest opponents of the JCPOA, but in recent months, following the U.S. readiness to provide $38 billion in military aid to Israel, he has softened his objections to the JCPOA, although he stated that Iran must be closely monitored to ensure it fulfills its commitments "exactly." A month and a half ago, during his attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York, Netanyahu met separately with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, stating that Israel does not interfere in the elections of its closest and most important ally, and both candidates are "good" for Israel. Trump has repeatedly praised Netanyahu during his campaign, calling him a "smart politician" and stating that "the wall he built in the fight against Palestinian terror is his model for building a wall with Mexico." According to Israeli media, the significant Republican victory in both the House and Senate could also be encouraging for Netanyahu. Netanyahu, who had a cold and tense relationship with Barack Obama during much of his presidency, faced a warm reception from the U.S. Congress and delivered an important speech against the nuclear negotiations with Iran despite Obama's displeasure. In this context, Donald Trump was introduced as the winner of the 2016 presidential election in the U.S.