U.S.- Israel relations are not exempt from President Trump’s mischief making during what traditionally was an uneventful presidential transition period in foreign policy matters. What Trump is up to in the Middle East is unclear. It appears likely that this will be only one more area in which the out-going President will seek to disrupt future U.S. foreign policy for President-elect Biden.
Trump has spent four years deconstructing public policy and the diplomatic initiatives of his predecessors. Donald Trump is now seeking to set a mess of foreign policy booby traps for the incoming President. (The President’s reported consideration of an attack on Iranian nuclear sites being only the most publicized contemplated adventure.)
Trump’s major ally in his foreign policy maneuvering has been Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. After Pompeo announced his plans for a second Trump Administration, he launched his own global trip with most of his time to be spent in the Middle East. (Countries on his itinerary were France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.) One of Pompeo’s most important subjects for this trip reportedly has been to support the President’s and his own commitment to international religious freedom. It is in this regard that the plans for Pompeo’s visits are so interesting politically. In fact, there are curious questions to be asked about all of Pompeo’s stops.
The plans for his visit to Israel have already been widely reported. As a religious fundamentalist Christian, Secretary Pompeo and his wife intend to make several personal visits to Christian sites. While in Northern Israel, it has been reported that the Secretary of State intends to be the first U.S. Government official to visit the Golan Heights.
Secretary Pompeo plans to visit Psagot, where he also will be the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit a West Bank settlement. Among other things, Psagot is known for its winery whose majority share owner is the prominent South Florida Republican Party donor, Simon Falic. He is the owner of Duty-Free America and a major supporter of other West Bank settlements in addition to Psagot. After Secretary of State Pompeo attended a major Republican fund-raiser in Iowa in July, Falic named a special wine after Pompeo and reportedly sent him a case.
One of the more notable residents of Psagot is Rabbi Yosef Dayan who claims to be a descendent of the biblical King David or to be the next King David. More critical politically, Rabbi Dayan was a supporter of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s extreme right-wing party, Kach. Rabbi Dayan also had issued a death threat (Pulsa diNura) against both Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon.
As an possible Republican presidential candidate in 2024, the photo “ops” for Pompeo that this trip will produce will be priceless, especially for his Christian fundamentalist base. It will probably also endear him to potential right-wing Jewish donors. For the President, it is not clear yet what he will get from this trip, but some of Pompeo’s other stops may provide an answer.
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