Since August, when it became clear that Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic nominee for president, Israelis’ focus shifted to a pressing question: who is better for the Jewish state, Harris or Donald Trump? And now we know who it will be.
That debate in Israel was coloured by the ongoing war with Hamas and Hezbollah, and centred on practical considerations of each candidate’s potential support for Israel.
So what will a Trump presidency bring? Has he soured on Israel due to tension with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or would he allow Israel to target Iran’s nuclear facilities and maybe even act himself? For some on the Israeli right, Trump represents the possibility of annexation of the West Bank, a stance he seemed to entertain during his previous term.
Both candidates were viewed as flawed within Israel. Trump’s history of extreme rhetoric and his associations with far-right figures raise serious concerns. Harris, meanwhile, faced criticism for her ties to the far-left wing of her party, where some voices accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza and advocate for Israeli leaders to face war crimes trials.
Yet these debates, as critical as they may seem, overlook a larger truth: a strong America translates into a strong Israel, and a thriving American democracy is essential for a resilient Israeli democracy. The two nations are intricately linked and their shared democratic values have long served as the foundation for the strategic alliance between them.
In recent years, however, America’s internal divisions have deepened, fracturing the nation along lines of politics, race, class, and ideology. While these divides have long existed, they have grown starker and more visible.
Israel has become one of the issues fuelling this division. The past 13 months of conflict have highlighted how support for Israel now splits Americans along increasingly complex lines. For some, standing by Israel remains a moral and strategic necessity. Others, however, argue for conditional support, citing alleged human rights violations.
Adding to this fractured landscape are racial tensions and cultural clashes over identity, values and national identity itself. Immigration, gender identity, reproductive rights, and religious freedoms have all become intensely politicised, with each side accusing the other of threatening the core of what it means to be “American.”
These fractures erode trust and push Americans further apart, making unity harder to achieve. For Israel, this poses a genuine concern. A weakened American democracy is not just an internal issue for the United States - it sends shockwaves across the globe. January 6 2021 was a powerful reminder of this; while the immediate crisis was American, its impact was felt worldwide.
Democracies, by nature, are fragile. In Israel Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition’s judicial reform attempts two years ago stirred a fierce national debate, seen by many as a threat to Israel’s democratic character. The public’s response - unprecedented protests across the country - led to a temporary halt in the reforms although the interest to advance them has not gone away.
For centuries, America has served as a democratic lighthouse, casting a powerful beam of hope, equality, and freedom worldwide. The strength of that light matters - not just for America, but for Israel and for democracies everywhere.
