The Washington Post published an article by international affairs writer Ishaan Tharoor, stating that “the appointments announced by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will strengthen the position of hardliners in Israel.”
In the article, translated by Arabi21, Tharoor explained that “Trump has selected Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, appointed Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, and named John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA.”
Tharoor continued, “Hegseth is known for rejecting the two-state solution and is a strong advocate for Israeli expansion in the West Bank. Ratcliffe has criticized the Biden administration’s threats to halt arms exports to Israel if it does not improve humanitarian conditions for civilians in Gaza.”
According to the article, the incoming officials share similar views with major figures in the Israeli government. Prime Minister Netanyahu opposes the two-state solution, while Defense Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir seeks more settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has conditioned humanitarian aid on the release of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas.
The article noted that “Ben-Gvir welcomed the appointments, posting an emoji of the American flag, a heart, and the Israeli flag on his social media account X, alongside Huckabee’s name. Smotrich also congratulated the incoming ambassador on social media.”
“Netanyahu’s government has sought in recent years to expand its footprint in the West Bank, where 3 million Palestinians and half a million settlers live,” according to the article.
Tharoor states, “These appointments offer a preview of Trump’s foreign policy and agenda,” adding that, “It may be early to define a foreign policy, but Trump’s choices—Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Michael Waltz as National Security Advisor, along with Elise Stefanik, a Republican Congresswoman from New York, as Ambassador to the UN, in addition to Ratcliffe as CIA Director and Hegseth as Secretary of Defense—signal Trump’s direction in a second term.”
He added, “Though they were not initially allied with Trump in his ‘America First’ platform, their rise signals an end to the neoconservative era and the dominance of MAGA’s ‘America First’ vision,” highlighting a “clear divide within Republican circles on various issues.”
Tharoor noted that “Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance have openly questioned the need to support ongoing war efforts in Ukraine, while many Republicans in Congress align more closely with Biden’s administration in supporting NATO and the West’s backing of Kyiv.”
He continued, “There are divisions over where and how American power should be prioritized, whether China should be challenged economically or militarily, and Trump’s backing of trade protectionism and tariffs, which goes against the Republican free-trade doctrine.”
Nonetheless, Trump’s allies and advisors view their work as a remedy to the conflicts handled by the Biden administration. Trump’s former National Security Advisor, Robert C. O’Brien, who may also hold a senior role in the upcoming administration, told the Wall Street Journal, “We’ll return to peace through strength, restoring deterrence.”
Tharoor emphasized, “America’s adversaries are aware that what they have gotten away with over the past four years will no longer be tolerated.” He adds that a decade of Trumpism has shifted the Republican Party in a new direction, forcing several of Trump’s appointees to align with his stance, such as Rubio’s hawkish approach toward Iran and China.
Tharoor explained, “As Trump’s envoy, Rubio may shape policies that allow the president to forge deals with Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia, in alignment with his approach to working with strongmen leaders.” The writer views Trump’s selection of Stefanik as UN ambassador as notable, suggesting that Trump values her assertive stance.
“Stefanik has stirred considerable attention for her questioning of university leaders regarding pro-Palestinian student protests on U.S. campuses. As UN Ambassador, she is likely to use her position to challenge UN agencies and diplomats on any criticism of Israel and to address longstanding Republican grievances with the world’s most important multilateral institution.”
Tharoor argues that “Trump’s administration appointments are not driven solely by politics but also by personal factors,” noting that “his new administration excludes former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This decision has less to do with their conservative stances than with Haley’s challenge to his presidential nomination and Pompeo’s considerations for a presidential run.”
The article concludes by suggesting that “Trump’s choices may signal potential clashes within his administration, similar to his first term, when he sought to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria and negotiate a nuclear weapons deal with North Korea.”
Tharoor noted that “these steps were strongly opposed by some of his more hawkish advisors, like National Security Advisor John Bolton and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. However, Trump has prioritized loyalty as a prerequisite for joining his administration in a bid to eliminate challenges to his decisions.”
