Ryan Wesley Routh, the 58-year-old suspect in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Sunday, is openly pro-Ukraine but, judging by his social media history, also appears to be anti-Israel.
In one post, Saved Speaking to Israeli media outlet Abu Ali Express, Routh pointed to a Biblical map of “Palestine” (a name that did not exist in biblical times) and asked, “I'm not sure which part of Israel is Palestine.” [sic] According to this historical map, it was Jewish-owned. Jewish? Historically, it was all Palestinian-owned. [sic].”
The term “Palestine” wasn't used until the 2nd century AD, when the Romans reacted to a rebellion by the Jewish inhabitants of what was then called Judea, renaming the area “Palestine” in order to sever Jewish ties to the land. The name likely comes from a biblical people called the Philistines, a group of enemies from the Mediterranean who settled near present-day Gaza but have no connection to the people who call themselves Palestinians today.
Breitbart News reported on Monday that Routh was so committed to the Ukrainian cause that he traveled to Ukraine to join the war and recruit soldiers.
The combination of being openly pro-Ukraine yet skeptical of Israel is pretty close to the current foreign policy consensus within the Democratic Party and the media. During last Tuesday's debate, an ABC News host asked the two presidential candidates about pursuing victory in Ukraine and a ceasefire in Gaza, despite the fact that Ukraine is fighting a nuclear power and Israel is close to victory against Hamas terrorists.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday It airs Sundays from 7:00pm-10:00pm ET (4:00pm-7:00pm PT) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of the following books: Agenda: What President Trump Should Do in His First 100 Daysavailable for pre-order on Amazon. He also Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump's presidencyavailable now on Audible. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
