MOUNT HERMON, Israel — As we were saying our thanks and farewells to the soldiers of Israel's new Highlands Brigade, the commander appeared at the door of our headquarters. “Everyone, please go to the evacuation center. A warning has been issued.”
The entire heavily armed brigade, along with civilians, marched into nearby concrete shelters.
A small group of American Christian supporters of Israel with whom I accompanied burst into song and prayer, lightening the mood.
Israeli Defense Force soldiers and visitors take shelter in an air raid shelter during a rocket attack, November 21, 2024 (Joel Pollack/Breitbart News)
The soldiers said they heard four thuds in the distance — not an impact, but rather “our” sounds — the sounds of Iron Dome interceptors hitting their targets. The only remnants of the rocket left a trace in the evening sky.
Still, Iron Dome notwithstanding. Despite the amazing successes of Israeli soldiers in Gaza and especially in Lebanon. And even though Israel has proven its ability to carry out attacks from Yemen to Iran, Israelis are exhausted by 413 days of war.
Many men quit their jobs, families, and studies for months on end to serve in the Reserves. More than 60,000 people remain internally displaced after being evacuated from the northern border. There are still 101 Israeli hostages in Gaza.
There is a bright side to all this. Despite renewed political strife, a sense of national unity persists. Poll after poll shows that Israelis are among the happiest people in the world, and their lives are given meaning by the struggle for survival.
Israel's economy grew at a solid pace of 3.8% in the third quarter of 2024. Israel hosted the best Olympics in history and performed well in the popular Eurovision singing competition despite threats, boycotts and intimidation.
However, people also have a sense that the current situation is unsustainable.
Having to worry about flying debris seems unbearable. success Missile defense will rain down on children's playgrounds.
The risk that the war will demoralize the Israelis and force them to consider surrender is increasing, although not yet severe. In fact, it is the core of terrorists' long-term strategy. It means, “You'll lose now, but be patient.''
So Israelis, even those who are not particularly inclined to like him, are looking to President-elect Donald Trump for hope.
A giant billboard in Jerusalem celebrates his return, like the Second Coming: “Welcome Home, Dear Friend!”
Like nearly half of the American people, some in Israel do not believe that the US government will be able to return Trump to office, given all of his baggage. But most Israelis also remember the Trump era fondly.
He not only fulfilled his promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. He not only cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority and other Palestinian organizations because of their support for terrorism. He not only recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel; But he also brought peace.
It is not just the Abraham Accords, a notable agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, but was later expanded to include several other Arab and Islamic countries. There was also the fact that Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations had been silent for four years.
Maybe they were just biding their time and preparing for the moment when (the president-elect) struck. Perhaps President Trump's sanctions on Iran have choked their funds.
Perhaps Israel's enemies feared him and feared that he would make Israel do whatever it took to defend itself. Perhaps surrounding countries saw President Trump's trading skills and decided to persuade him to take advantage of them.
Whatever the reason, and all of the above may be valid, Israelis felt safer under Trump (as did Americans, until hysteria over the coronavirus gripped the world) ). Therefore, the Israeli people are looking forward to his next presidential appointment.
President Trump has promised to end the Lebanon war, perhaps by putting pressure on Israel. He still wants a “deal of the century” with the Palestinians. And he wants a new deal with Iran.
Still, the Israelis trust him. He represents a strong America and peace.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. he is the author of Agenda: What should President Trump do in his first 100 days?available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of Trumpian Virtues: Lessons and Legacy of the Donald Trump Presidencynow available on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
