Donald Trump on Israel, the Jews, “the Holocaust” and historical revisionism: extracts from four online pieces
1 – Transcript of Trump’s Speech to AIPAC, Time website, March 21, 2016
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I speak to you today [March 21, 2016] as a lifelong supporter and true friend of Israel.
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In spring of 2004 at the height of the violence in the Gaza Strip, I was the grand marshal of the 40th Salute to Israel Parade, the largest-single gathering in support of the Jewish state.
It was a very dangerous time for Israel and frankly for anyone supporting Israel. Many people turned down this honor. I did not. I took the risk and I’m glad I did.
I came here to speak to you about where I stand on the future of American relations with our strategic ally, our unbreakable friendship and our cultural brother, the only democracy in the Middle East, the state of Israel.
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When I’m president, believe me, I will veto any attempt by the U.N. to impose its will on the Jewish state. It will be vetoed 100 percent.
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When I become president, the days of treating Israel like a second-class citizen will end on day one.
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We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem. And we will send a clear signal that there is no daylight between America and our most reliable ally, the state of Israel.
The Palestinians must come to the table knowing that the bond between the United States and Israel is absolutely, totally unbreakable. They must do that.
And they must come to the table willing to accept that Israel is a Jewish state and it will forever exist as a Jewish state.
I love the people in this room. I love Israel. I love Israel. I’ve been with Israel so long in terms of I’ve received some of my greatest honors from Israel, my father before me, incredible. My daughter, Ivanka, is about to have a beautiful Jewish baby.
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2 – “Asked about anti-Semitism, Trump promises ‘a lot of love’”, Times of Israel, February 16, 2017
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“As far as people, Jewish people — so many friends, a daughter who happens to be here right now, a son-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren,” he said.
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The president continued: “I think that you’re going to see a lot different United States of America over the next three, four or eight years. I think a lot of good things are happening and you’re going to see a lot of love.”
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3 – “Trump said [to be] bidding to defeat new anti-Israel UNESCO resolution” – Times of Israel, April 24, 2017
The Trump administration has reportedly ordered US ambassadors in UNESCO member states to initiate meetings with their host countries’ foreign ministries in a bid to defeat an anti-Israel resolution that is to be debated at the UN cultural organization next week.
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4 – “‘We’ll confront anti-Semitism,’ Trump vows at Holocaust event [under the US Capitol cupola]” – Times of Israel, April 25, 2017
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump delivered his strongest denunciation of anti-Semitism to date on Tuesday, calling Holocaust deniers “an accomplice to this horrible evil” and vowing to use his office to “confront anti-Semitism.”
In an address inside the US Capitol’s ornate rotunda at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s annual National Commemoration of the Days of Remembrance, Trump seemed to respond to concerns voiced by Jewish leaders in the early months of his administration that he was reluctant to tackle anti-Semitism head on.
“This is my pledge to you: We will confront anti-Semitism,” Trump said. “We will stamp out prejudice, we will condemn hatred, we will bear witness and we will act. As president of the United States, I will always stand with the Jewish people — and I will always stand with our great friend and partner, the State of Israel.”
This year’s memorial was the first since the death last year of Elie Wiesel, and Trump paid tribute to the renowned writer and Holocaust survivor, saying the lessons of his life would guide his decisions to prevent atrocities like the Holocaust from recurring on his watch.
“I believe in Elie’s famous plea that ‘for the dead and the living we must bear witness,’” he said. “That is why we are here today, to bear witness. To make sure that humanity never, ever forgets that the Nazis massacred six million Jews. Two out of every three Jews in Europe were murdered in the genocide.”
The president also castigated Holocaust deniers, in terms more strident than he has used in the past.
“Those who deny the Holocaust are an accomplice to this horrible evil. And we’ll never be silent —we just won’t — we will never, ever be silent in the face of evil again,” he said, a statue of Abraham Lincoln towering over him.
Holocaust denial, Trump added, is “only one of many forms of dangerous anti-Semitism that continues all around the world.”
He closed the speech by saying, “Today we mourn, we remember, we pray, and we pledge — never again.”
The event was first organized in 1979 [under Jimmy Carter]. The following year, Congress established the annual Week of Remembrance as the nation’s official commemoration of the Shoah.
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April 26, 2017