U.S. Jewish groups praised many but not all of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominations for senior roles in his upcoming administration.
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, told JNS that Trump’s appointments are remarkable choices given their past pro-Israel support.
“For the posts that affect Israel, this is the most extraordinarily pro-Israel group of nominees that I’ve ever seen in an American government,” he said. “They are not just decent supporters of Israel. They are extraordinary supporters of Israel.”
“You have Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, who says publicly to stop using the term ‘West Bank’ and instead call it ‘Judea and Samaria,’” he said. “He wants to stop calling them ‘settlements,’ when they are Jewish communities.”
“He has also advocated to stop saying ‘two-state solution,’ since Israel is already a state,” Klein added. “This is a phony term, which makes it sound like each side is getting something, and he says, ‘The Bible has said that God gave this land to the Jewish people.’ There is nothing more to discuss.”
B’nai B’rith International praised Trump’s nomination of Huckabee and called
the former Arkansas governor a true friend of Israel. “The choice of Huckabee shows the incoming administration’s commitment to further strengthening the special U.S.-Israel alliance,” it stated.
B’nai B’rith also praised Trump’s nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of state. “Sen. Rubio’s steadfast support for Israel, championing of human rights and strong anti-Iran stance make him an outstanding choice to be America’s top diplomat,” the nonprofit said.
The Republican Jewish Coalition said that Rubio is a “defender of Israel.”
Trump’s nomination of Rubio “for this critical role sends a message loudly and clearly: The days of weakness and appeasement are over,” it said. “We know that with Senator Rubio leading the State Department, America will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and confront our enemies.”
Rabbi Moshe Matz, director of Agudath Israel of America’s Florida office, praised Rubio’s nomination, noting that the senator “has been a strong and consistent leader on foreign policy and a stalwart friend of the Jewish community and Israel.”
“I could not have imagined a better person for this position,” Matz added. “We wish him the best and look forward to our continued relationship.”
Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, stated that he looks forward to working with Trump’s national security nominations—Rubio, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) as national security advisor. All three are former colleagues of Deutch’s when he was a Democratic congressman.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) congratulated Waltz on his appointment and praised his committed service to the country under the Obama administration. The Florida Democrat didn’t approve of Trump’s nomination of Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who is now a Republican, as director of national intelligence.
“Nominating Tulsi Gabbard to lead our intelligence community is incredibly reckless,” Moskowitz stated. “Putting someone with known sympathies for foreign adversaries is not putting America’s interests first—it’s putting our security at risk.”
The American Jewish Committee asked Trump to rethink nominating Matt Gaetz, who has since stepped down as a Republican congressman in Florida, for attorney general. The AJC noted Gaetz’s history of perpetuating antisemitic conspiracy theories. The Democratic Majority for Israel noted that Gaetz opted to vote against the Antisemitism Awareness Act and opposed codifying the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of Jew-hatred into law.
The Israel Heritage Foundation congratulated Gaetz on his appointment and called him a “true friend of Israel.”
“Gaetz, a staunch supporter of Israel, has demonstrated his commitment through various initiatives,” it stated. “His nomination strengthens the U.S.-Israel alliance.”
