It is almost impossible to put into words how amazing Donald Trump’s first few days of his second presidency have been. His team obviously started planning either immediately after the election or possibly even beforehand. They hit the ground running, with dozens of executive orders and action on the ground from removing DEI in practice to rounding up illegal alien criminals. Donald Trump himself seems very confident and is less combative and more focused on getting the job done. It’s hard to keep up with all that is going on.
While Donald Trump has been a dynamo and has chosen some amazing people to serve with him, he is not perfect. That adjective we leave for God Alone. The fellow he has selected to be his personal representative for the Middle East, businessman Steve Witkoff, seems to be reading from a different playbook. Of late:
*He enthusiastically supported the agreement in which Hamas gets thousands of terrorists and trucks for a few dozen Israeli hostages, not all of whom are still alive.
*Suggested following up on Hamas’ suggestion for having direct discussions between the U.S. and Hamas.
*Seems to have too close of a business history with Qatar, an Islamist country which is no less evil than Iran but comes with a smile to the West.
There are at the time of this writing conflicting reports that President Trump will or will not give Witkoff the Iran file. Israel was primed to attack Iran’s nuclear installations, but the noise coming from Washington is that the administration does not seem overly enthused with a third Israeli attack.
While Donald Trump has definitely improved his staff selections from his previous stint as president, one has to remember that Rex Tillerson and Christopher Wray were Trump appointments. Tillerson apparently was unaware that there were actually any countries beyond Texas while the complete devolution of the FBI into a khaki-wearing Stasi occurred on Wray’s watch. So if a few of Trump’s current choices are not up to snuff, it is not in any way an indictment of the president. Still, Witkoff seems hellbent on putting Israel into a box where she cannot afford to be.
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I wish to contrast Witkoff to JD Vance, whose first few days have also been most impressive. At a talk, he said that the expression, “Bring them home!” was completely out of place, as it placed the onus on Israel to take risks and undertake undesirable actions to get its people back. He said that people should be saying, “Let them go!” as the burden is on Hamas to release the people they ruthlessly kidnapped on the black day of October 7th. It may sound like semantics, but it is not. That which the vice president says shows that he understands who the good guys and the bad guys are. When Witkoff suggests entering a dialogue with Hamas, it takes Mark Levin to point out that even the clueless Tony Blinken never suggested speaking with them. Semantics matter because after the vocal cords, we learn the thinking of the one doing the talking. Witkoff may be a top-flight businessman, but his early actions and comments make me want to send him a ten-gallon hat and call him Rex.
Next week, 90 Palestinian murderers are scheduled to be released, including the individuals behind some of the biggest bloodletting attacks during the second intifada. Families here are crushed, and as usual, were lied to by Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu and his government. None of those harmed by the attacks have been contacted by the Israeli government to give them a heads up on the release of their tormentors. Bibi doesn’t care. We’re all in the past for him. Unfortunately, the terror attacks are in the lives of those who were harmed every day of their lives. Every word I have written on this website has been without the benefit of my left pinky finger due to nerve damage in my arm from the injuries I sustained in a suicide bombing. The ring finger covers for it.
When the first 42 day period of the ceasefire agreement ends, the IDF will not go back to fight. Between international pressure to simply give Hamas the win and the lack of desire from soldiers to suit up and go fight again, there will be no continuation of the war. One can look at 20,000 dead Hamas fighters and see all of the destroyed buildings and say that Israel won. But it’s like a guy determining the winner of a football game based on penalty yardage and time of possession. Hamas does not care about dead bodies or destroyed buildings; they can replace their ranks and they know that someone else will rebuild Gaza for them. Israel was brutally attacked and vowed to destroy Hamas. It did not. The trucks entering by the hundreds by day are going into Hamas’ hands so that they can further control the population: support us or die of starvation. Bibi somehow managed to outmaneuver Blinken and Biden, but apparently the hug of Trump and Witkoff is too much. Hamas still rules Gaza and the mullahs are still in control of Iran. Sure, Syria changed hands and Hezbollah was seriously damaged. But Job No. 1 has not been accomplished. And it probably will not get done.
Donald Trump is a great friend of the Jewish people and Israel. His actions and appointments are a breath of fresh air for the American people. I have no doubt that he wants Israel to be strong and not face threats from its neighbors, close or afar. Still, Steve Witkoff is like the guy playing cowbell and ruining the Blue Oyster Cult song on Saturday Night Live. His role as Middle East advisor is not starting well. Israel has a very small window in which to act; his pro-Qatar background and pro-Hamas actions and statements are a threat to the Jewish state.
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