november 11, 2016 trump: israel is a ray of hope to the world 




just two days after his stunning election victory, president-elect donald trump delivered a message to israel, describing his personal affection for the jewish state and hopes that his administration will be able to strengthen ties strained by eight years of tense relations between israel and the obama administration. 




calling israel a <u+201c>ray of hope,<u+201d> trump released the statement to the israel hayom newspaper, which is owned by prominent jewish republican donor, sheldon adelson. adelson backed trump in this year<u+2019>s election towards the end of the race, giving tens of millions of dollars to the trump campaign and pro-trump political action committees. 




<u+201c>i love and respect israel and its citizens,<u+201d> wrote trump. <u+201c>israel and the us share so many common values, like free speech, freedom of worship, and the special emphasis on creating opportunities for all citizens to fulfill their dreams.<u+201d> 




<u+201c>i look forward to strengthening the unbreakable bond between our two great peoples. i know well that israel is the only democracy in the middle east, and that it is the only one that defends human rights, and that it is a ray of hope for many people.<u+201d> 




along with his praise for the jewish state, trump also touched upon the thorniest issue in the israel-us relationship <u+2013> the two-state solution.
trump: israel is a ray of hope to the world
kaitlyn stegall