Trump Advisors Promise More Sanctions Against Iran

Donald Trump's advisors on Israel have issued a statement to the Jewish community and the Israeli public emphasizing that if the Republican candidate wins the U.S. presidential election, the Washington government will further strengthen its cooperation with Israel and intensify sanctions against Iran. According to the Jerusalem Post, Jason Greenblatt and David Friedman, two of Trump's advisors, outlined the fundamental framework of U.S.-Israel relations should Trump enter the White House, ahead of the November 8 elections. The statement, which was reflected in Israeli media on November 1 and 2, accuses Iran of 'violating' the JCPOA and 'repeated nuclear and non-nuclear threats,' stating that under Trump's presidency, the U.S. will impose 'harsh and new sanctions to protect the world and Iran's neighbors.' The Trump advisors also labeled the Iranian regime as a 'supporter of terrorism,' claiming that Iran's support for terrorism 'poses a threat not only to the Middle East but to the entire world.' They added that Iran finances and militarily supports Hamas, Hezbollah, and forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic rival, has fundamentally supported the JCPOA, calling it a 'great success'; Trump has recently stopped his initial statements about 'tearing up the JCPOA' but criticizes that after the JCPOA, 'the U.S. government foolishly gave $150 billion to Iran.' The Trump advisors emphasized the 'unbreakable ties' between the U.S. and Israel, based on shared values of democracy, freedom of speech, respect for minorities, preserving the sanctity of life, and providing opportunities for all citizens to realize their aspirations. Greenblatt and Friedman wrote, 'The historical lands belong to the Jewish people; Israel is the state of the Jewish people who have lived in this land for 3,500 years; the establishment of the State of Israel is the result of the brave actions and determination of men and women who faced hardships; the existence of Israel inspires all those who value freedom and human dignity.' The Trump advisors stated that while other countries have drawn the U.S. military to defend them, Israel has always defended itself and has sought U.S. support through military and diplomatic means. They noted that his administration will not 'limit' Congress's support for Israel beyond what was mentioned in the recent memorandum of understanding. The U.S. government recently approved $38 billion in aid to the Israeli military for a ten-year period. The Trump advisors called the two-state solution to the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine 'impossible,' contingent upon 'Palestinians renouncing violence against Israel and recognizing Israel's existence as a state for the Jews.' They added that the U.S. will recognize Jerusalem as the 'eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish state' and will move the U.S. embassy (which has always been in Tel Aviv) to Jerusalem. Trump himself recently stated that if the U.S. State Department does not execute his order as President to move the embassy to Jerusalem, he will 'fire' them. The Trump advisors wrote that negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians must be direct and without preconditions, condemning Palestinian efforts in international organizations to 'bypass direct negotiations.' The statement also indicated that under Trump's presidency, the U.S. will stop financial assistance to the UN Human Rights Council because 'this body is dominated by a majority of countries with dictatorial regimes that slander Israel.' The Trump advisors also referred to two resolutions passed last month by UNESCO that deemed the 'Noble Sanctuary' in Jerusalem as 'solely belonging to Islam and Muslims' as 'another document of discrimination against Israel,' calling it 'neglect of the thousands of years of Jewish history in Jerusalem.' Israeli media have assessed the statement from Trump's Jewish advisors as 'an attempt to attract Jewish votes,' especially in decisive states like Florida. The Jerusalem Post reported that Trump appointed Greenblatt and Friedman as his advisors despite their 'lack of experience in foreign policy,' but the two expressed gratitude for 'the opportunity Trump has given them.'