ZOA Praises Trump’s Support For Jewish Construction In Judea/Samaria

ZOA Praises Trump’s Support For Jewish Construction In Judea/Samaria

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) praised Donald Trump for stating his support for the maintenance of and continued construction in Jewish communities of Judea/Samaria, which, in fact, comprise only 2% of Judea/Samaria.

Mr. Trump, in response to being asked if Israel should cease construction of houses in these communities in an interview with the British newspaper, theDaily Mail, responded, “No, I don’t think it is, because I think Israel should have – they really have to keep going. They have to keep moving forward. No, I don’t think there should be a pause … Look: Missiles were launched into Israel, and Israel, I think, never was properly treated by our country. I mean, do you know what that is, how devastating that is?” Mr. Trump also said, “thousands of missiles being launched into Israel …Who would put up with that? Who would stand for it?” (David Martosko & Geoff Earle, ‘EXCLUSIVE: Trump insists Israel should keep building West Bank settlements as he says Netanyahu should “keep moving forward” because Palestinians fired ‘thousands of missiles’ at Jewish state,’ Daily Mail [London], May 3, 2016).

The ZOA also praised Mr. Trump’s criticism of the Iran deal, of which he said, “I don’t even understand where –– I have Jewish friends that support Obama. I tell them all the time, I say, ‘What are you doing? The Iran deal is a disaster for Israel.’”

“It is refreshing to hear a presidential candidate say that Israeli/Palestinian peace is not dependent upon Israel discriminating against Israeli Jews, and only Israeli Jews, because they are Israeli Jews, by preventing them from building homes and communities in Judea/Samaria. In fact, there have been no new communities built there. All new construction has been within the borders of the communities that were in existence when Oslo began in 1993.

“Jews residing in Judea/Samaria possess a fundamental legitimacy, and further, pose no genuine obstacle to peace  — were Palestinians willing to conclude one — which they are not, as we have repeatedly pointed out, citing innumerable polls and other indicators.

“Mr. Trump is right to avoid the absurdity of criticizing and condemning such things as the mere announcement of an urban construction program in a Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem, or some other major residential neighborhood that, in virtually any kind of peace agreement envisaged, would remain part of Israel.

“The true obstacles to peace are: Palestinian Arab refusal to accept Israel as a Jewish state; their horrifying Jew-hatred; their demand for a Jew-free Palestinian state; Palestinian insistence on the nonsensical, Israel-destroying, so-called ‘right of return’; and the continued promotion of the murder and maiming of Jews in every aspect of Palestinian culture.

“We applaud what Mr. Trump said on this subject in his Daily Mail interview. “