Messaging Guidance:

Trump’s Failed Leadership Would Exacerbate the Crisis in Gaza

July 2024

At every turn, Donald Trump has demonstrated that he has no qualms about aligning himself completely with Israel’s far-right government, and cares little for Palestinians. When discussing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – or any military conflict for that matter – Trump has used dangerous and dehumanizing rhetoric that escalates tensions, creates further chaos, and encourages the killing of civilians. If re-elected, Trump would do little to rein in his political ally – and nothing to help negotiate a fair and sustained peace agreement.

The Israeli right understands this and pines for Trump. In an early February interview with the Wall Street Journal, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir made his views quite clear: “Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel [to Gaza], which goes to Hamas,” Ben-Gvir said. “If Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different.”

Donald Trump cannot be trusted to manage the crisis in Gaza. Here’s why:

Talking Points:

• This is a complicated and difficult issue that has unsettled the region for far too long. The current crisis is a heartbreaking reminder of how much work remains to be done to ensure peace and security in the region.

• It’s certainly true that there is a lot of disagreement and division over this issue in the United States. And unfortunately, there is likely no solution to this challenge that would unite all Americans. But given the fact that Donald Trump is on the verge of returning to the White House, it’s important to be clear-eyed about the policies that he has embraced and their consequences for the region.

• As a close ally of Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump has a well-established record on Israel-Palestine, defined by his efforts to oppose a Palestinian State, weaken an already dysfunctional Palestinian Authority, and enable Israeli settlement activity in Palestinian territories. As President, Trump:

  • Proposed a “peace plan” that he negotiated without any Palestinian input, which would have effectively ended the possibility of a true Palestinian state.

  • Abandoned the longstanding American position that opposed Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

  • Announced that his administration would not spend the roughly $200 million in funding set aside for aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

  • Approved the relocation of the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem – a policy shift that experts say fundamentally undermined the possibility of East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

  • Unilaterally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights – a disputed territory over which Israel gained control during the 1967 war.

• Even before becoming President, though, Trump made clear he would always pick sides. At the 2016 Republican convention, Trump pushed through a provision in the party platform ending GOP support for a two-state solution and a Palestinian state.

• In recent months, the rhetoric of President Trump and his advisors has promised more of the same – aggressive and unprecedented policies that would worsen humanitarian conditions in Gaza, embolden the right-wing government in Israel, and undermine future prospects for a Palestinian state.

  • In a recent interview, Trump said he supports Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza, stating, "you've got to finish the problem. You had a horrible invasion that took place that would have never happened if I was president... They wouldn't have done it to me, I guarantee you that."

  • Trump’s Ambassador to Israel accused the Biden-Harris Administration of “hampering the war effort” by pressuring Israel to limit civilian casualties during its military operation, saying, “at no time [while I was ambassador] did the United States put any handcuffs or limitations on Israel's ability to respond.”

  • Trump’s advisors have publicly opposed the administration’s current push for a Palestinian state as part of any postwar settlement, calling such a proposal “terribly harmful and dangerous.” Trump and Republicans agree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he says that Israel cannot agree to a two-state solution.

  • Shortly after the war began, Trump pledged to expand his Muslim ban and reject any refugees from Gaza from entering the United States, calling for ideological screenings for those entering the country.

• It’s also important to remember the dangerous rhetoric Donald Trump has used about military conduct more broadly. Both as a candidate and as President of the United States, Donald Trump has expressed support for killing innocent people in war zones and repeatedly shown enthusiasm for war crimes.

  • Trump declared that he would “take out the families” of terrorist suspects, assuring skeptics that the military would not refuse his commands, even though service members have a duty to refuse orders that are illegal. “If I say do it, they’re going to do it.”

  • Trump publicly threatened to bomb Iranian sites of cultural importance “VERY FAST AND VERY HARD” – which is a war crime.

  • In 2019, Trump ordered his administration to halt reporting civilians killed in U.S. drone strikes, which contributed to a more than 300 percent increase in civilian deaths.

  • Trump has vowed to bring back torture techniques “a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”

  • In four separate cases, Trump aided service members who were accused or convicted of war crimes, against the advice of his own military leadership.

• If Donald Trump were to return to power next January, he would undoubtedly make a challenging circumstance even worse and ensure that this conflict became even more intractable. The world cannot afford such an escalation.