On Monday, President Donald Trump began his second term in office. Throughout the day of his swearing in, one could see relatives of Israeli hostages front and centre in the audience. It’s clear, President Trump’s administration is sending a direct message – and not just to Hamas.
President Trump’s strong foreign policy statements leading up to his inauguration likely had a significant impact on the hostages beginning to come home. Likewise, his administration is working to undo various problematic policies of the Biden Administration.
Here are some of the great moves Trump has made this week.
1. President Trump removed sanctions on Israeli ‘settlers’
Trump overturned the Biden administration’s absurd decision to sanction certain Israelis in Judea and Samaria (the so-called ‘West Bank). This sanctioning was unique to Israelis, as the US doesn’t even do this to terrorist leaders in the Palestinian towns just next door to the Israeli towns that are funding terror and have blood on their hands. Thankfully, Trump overturned the decision and stopped treating Israelis like terrorists.
2. Trump restored sanctions on the ICC
Before the inauguration, the Trump administration was said to have been planning ‘crippling’ sanctions against the ICC and they have done just that.
The sanctions package will target both individual ICC personnel, including judges and prosecutors, and the institution as a whole. The administration intends to classify the ICC as an organization threatening U.S. interests, employing designation procedures similar to those used by the State Department for terrorist organizations globally. This designation will trigger severe restrictions on anyone involved with the court’s operations.
Why is this important? The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been weaponised to attack Israeli leaders under false allegations. It is a kangaroo court run by anti-Israel activists who are abusing their positions to wage judicial warfare against Israel.
ICC sources said this week the measures expected to be implemented by the Trump administration could “shut the court down entirely”.
We can only hope. The court is not fit for purpose.
3. Trump halted funding of UNRWA and placed them under review
Trump understands the dangers of UNRWA and has halted funding the organisation. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is a tool of the enemy to attack Israel using Palestinian so-called ‘refugees’ as an axe above Israel’s head waiting to drop.
UNRWA runs schools that are promoting anti-Israel and pro-terror lessons, UNRWA runs facilities that were used to hide hostages, and some of UNRWA’s own staff members were found to be members of Hamas. Not to mention, the headquarters of UNRWA shared the same power supply as the Hamas headquarters that was build directly underneath it.
UNRWA is shielding Hamas terrorism in more ways than one. In fact, it is promoting and supporting it.
Unless UNRWA reforms itself in the next 90 days, we are likely to see all US aid cut to it, which is big as the US is the largest donor to UNRWA.
4. Trump authorised the deportation of pro-Hamas foreign nationals living in America
This means that if someone is living in America and they are not a US citizen, if they take part in any pro-Hamas marches, rallies, or any other action that shows support for Hamas or any other terror group that is anti-Israel and antisemitic, then they will be deported. Also, those applying for a visa may have their applications denied.
This will not stop all anti-Israel activism on college campuses. However, it will cause all foreign students and anyone visiting America on a visa to think twice before they join these hate marches.
5. Trump to lift restrictions on arms sales to Israel
Trump is going to enable US shipments of 2,000 lb bombs to Israel again. The ‘bunker buster’ bombs are used to penetrate deep underground to take out military infrastructure that regular bombs cannot reach.
The Biden administration had placed restrictions on Israel last May after it bowed to the lies against Israel.
Biden officials said they were concerned about Israel’s use of these bombs in densely populated areas, which was a slap in the face to Israel which has gone out of its way to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. In fact, the statistics show that the combatant to civilian death ratio in Gaza is at maximum 1.5 to 1, which is far lower than the UN’s average of 7 to 1 in urban warfare. Israel is not only NOT committing genocide, it is doing far better than other forces at reducing civilian casualties.
The arms embargo by the US meant that Israel was less capable of defending itself not only from Hamas, but also from Hezbollah and Iran. Trump’s decision is ensuring that Israel has the munitions it needs to defend itself from the multiple threats it faces.
6. Trump re-designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation
This is actually the second time Trump has designated the group. He originally signed an executive order during his first term, in January 2021, and Biden removed the designation during his first month in office. Since then, the Houthis have attacked US warships, launched hundreds of attacks against civilian ships, and for some time effectively shut down the Suez Canal shipping route, forcing ships to go around Africa in order to ship products from Asia to Europe. This is not to mention that the Houthis directly attacked Israel with long range drones and missiles.
It is shameful that the whole time the Houthis were doing this, Biden refused to re-designate the group (it is also shameful that the UK refuses to designate the Houthis outside of sanctions on a few individuals).
Thankfully, President Trump has re-designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation. This means that the United States will sanction members of the Houthis, limit their funding, stop USAID funding going to them, pressure international partners to divest from them, and hinder the travel of Houthi members and supporters.
7. Trump has appointed pro-Israel Christians in key positions
Among the most important decisions a President can make are the people with whom he chooses to surround himself, and on his first day in office, President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was unanimously approved by the Senate. Secretary Rubio is a long time ally to Israel and friend to CUFI.
We are very pleased the Senate understood the importance of setting aside partisanship and supporting a smart and decent man to serve as America’s top diplomat.
Following his appointment, Rubio spoke to Netanyahu over the phone to “underscore that maintaining the United States’ steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for President Trump.”
Trump has also nominated Elise Stefanik to be Ambassador to the UN.
Stefanik made headlines recently when she said that Israel had a ‘Biblical right’ to all of Judea and Samaria. She said at the UN she wants to prioritise combating the “antisemitic rot” of the global body and is in favour of cutting all funding to the terror-supporting UNRWA.
In addition, Trump has nominated Governor Huckabee to be Ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a friend of CUFI and we welcome his appointment.
“President-elect Trump has made an inspiring choice in nominating Governor Mike Huckabee, a man of deep faith and love for the Jewish state and its people, to represent his administration in Israel at this historic time. I have no doubt that my dear friend Governor Huckabee will strengthen the bonds between our nations and help shepherd President Trump’s vision for a safe, strong, and secure Israel,” said CUFI Founder and Chairman Pastor John Hagee.
“Israel will find in Governor Huckabee a leader prepared to listen, learn, and offer an outstretched hand in friendship. I look forward to his arrival in the eternal and undivided capital of Israel.”
We pray that these pro-Israel Christians will also be approved to carry out their roles and to strengthen the US-Israel relationship.
The future is looking bright, but there is work to be done.
The news out of Washington is good at this time, and there are no words to express our feelings when seeing hostages come home (which we have no doubt President Trump had a hand at ensuring). However, there is still much work to be done.
There are still hostages in Hamas’s hell. There are still Palestinian terrorists seeking to kill Israelis in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Iran and its proxies are still an existential threat to Israel and must be dealt with. There are still global bodies that are antisemitic and need fixing. There are many nations who need encouragement to stop their anti-Israel agendas. And there are still antisemites in Congress and across the United States.
A recent Harvard University-Harris poll found that 21% of Americans support Hamas. Now at least we know where ‘the Squad’ and its fringe-right allies garner their support. The polling did not have a great distinction between parties. Israel is defeating the antisemites in the Middle East; it is important that American Christians stand by Jerusalem and confront the anti-Israel voices in America.
The future will be bright for America as long as America stands with Israel and defends Biblical truth. We are hopeful that President Trump and the people around him will do just that, but we must pray for them to have wisdom in all these things.
God bless America, God bless Israel, and God bless Trump.
