Republican Nominee Considers Opponent an Existential Threat to Jewish States, Repeats Claim that Jews Voting Democrat Should Have Their Heads Examined

Former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning on Thursday, claiming that if Vice President Kamala Harris were to win the White House, Israel’s existence would be in jeopardy. Speaking via satellite to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Trump said, “You’re not going to have an Israel if she becomes president… Israel will no longer exist.” The comment highlights Trump’s ongoing effort to attract Jewish voters to his campaign.

“I will work with you to make sure Israel is with us for thousands of years,” Trump promised during his address, further intensifying his rhetoric. The Republican nominee voiced frustration that his policies toward the Middle East have not garnered more significant support from Jewish voters. “I don’t understand how anybody can support them — and I say it constantly — if you had them to support and you were Jewish, you have to have your head examined,” he said, referring to his Democratic rivals.

Despite claiming, “I’ve done more for Israel than anyone,” polling conducted in June, before President Joe Biden exited the race, showed Trump receiving 24% of the Jewish vote. Trump insisted that number would rise in 2024, predicting, “This year we will probably be around a 50% mark.”

Trump also used the opportunity to conflate American Jews with Israelis, telling the crowd, “Right now, what you are going through is horrible that you have to go through that, with all the death, destruction and waste and ruining a civilization.” His remarks, however, failed to specify the context, though the audience responded enthusiastically, cheering throughout the speech.

Continuing to ramp up the rhetoric, Trump added, “You’ll never survive if they get in, and our country America will never survive if they get in,” seemingly referencing a long-standing trope of dual loyalty.

Harris Campaign Responds

In response to Trump’s comments, the Harris-Walz campaign fired back. “Donald Trump openly demeans Jewish Americans, proudly dined with a neo-Nazi and reportedly thinks Adolf Hitler ‘did some good things,’” said campaign spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein. “He has said the only people he wants counting his money are ‘short guys wearing yarmulkes,’ and praised neo-Nazis who chanted ‘Jews will not replace us’ as ‘very fine people.’”

Finkelstein also addressed Trump’s record on Israel, saying, “Donald Trump has made it obvious he would turn on Israel in a moment if it suited his personal interests; and, in fact, he has done so in the past.” She reaffirmed Harris’s unwavering support for Israel: “The vice president has been a lifelong supporter of the State of Israel as a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people… She also stands steadfastly against antisemitism both at home and abroad.”

Support for Israel and Criticism of the Palestinian Authority

Trump began his speech by offering condolences to the family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli hostage executed by Hamas. He used the occasion to accuse Harris and President Biden of blaming Israel for the deaths, although both have condemned Hamas for the violence. Trump also joined the criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of hostage negotiations, though he did not mention Netanyahu by name.

Reiterating his strong stance against the Palestinian Authority (PA), Trump defended cutting U.S. funding to Ramallah during his presidency. “I defunded the Palestinian Authority and choked off the money to Hamas… They’re not our friends and not the friends of Israel,” he declared.

Vows to Combat ‘Antisemitic Propaganda’ on Campuses

Turning to anti-Israel protests on U.S. college campuses, Trump promised to revoke federal support and accreditation from universities that allow what he termed “antisemitic propaganda.” He stated, “Colleges will and must end the antisemitic propaganda or they will lose their accreditation and federal support,” positioning himself as a defender of Jewish students against rising antisemitism.