Donald J. Trump deserves a special place in Jewish history
Donald J. Trump deserves a special place in Jewish history.
Several months ago, I wrote an article praising the wisdom and foresight of Eric Hoffer, an American philosopher, who concluded that Jews and Israel are in perpetual state of loneliness in the world and nobody, including United States of America, is extending a hand of friendship and cooperation to the Jews and Jewish state. Eric Hoffer, an American longshoreman, philosopher and a gentile, had written in 1968 “The Jews are alone in the world. If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts. And Jewish resources”. After continuing the research on the subject, I must admit that Hoffer’s lamentation of Jewish solitude is not entirely correct-it is challenged by the action of Persian King, Cyrus the Great, who reigned 2,550 years ago and who has a special place in Jewish history.
The Israelites of Kingdom of Judea were exiled to Babylon between 597 and 582 BCE by Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed Jerusalem and the First Jewish Temple built by King Solomon. The Babylonian captivity of Judeans lasted for 70 years. The Book of Ezra records the decree issued by Cyrus the Great, releasing the Judeans from Babylonian captivity and allowing them to return to Jerusalem. Guided by God, Cyrus the Great authorized the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. As it says in the Ezra 1:1-4, Cyrus stated “The Lord, the God of heaven… has charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem”. Deutero-Isaiah (Isaiah 40-55) or Second Isaiah are the writings attributed by the biblical scholars to the unknown authors in the Old Testament. The chapter of Isaiah 45.1-13 contains the prophet’s hope of Israelites salvation from Babylonian captivity with the help of king of Persia, who is following the God’s will. Cyrus the Great was chosen by God and was assisted by Him:” I will go before you, and level the mountains; I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron”. God sees the King of Persia as a tool for Israel redemption and who returned the exiles Judeans to Jerusalem and assisted them in building the Second Temple, starting the time in Jewish history called the period of Second Temple.
Let’s take a look if modern era had produced an individual (s) whose sympathy and contributions towards the Jewish people can be compared to the deeds of Cyrus the Great, King of Persia. This article will examine the attitudes and actions of some leaders of the most powerful nation, the United States of America. President of USA, Harry S. Truman, was a leading proponent of the UN’s 1947 plan to divide Palestine into two parts: one for Arabs and another to be allocated for Jews. He was the first among the world heads of states to officially recognize the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, minutes after announcement of its independence. At the same time, during his presidency the United State denied arms to Israel during its war for independence and the same pattern of refusing to supply military arms to the Jewish state continued into 1960s. The United States has become the main supplier of military hardware and strategic supporter of Israel on the international scene after 1967 Six-Day War. When in 1973, during Yom Kippur War, Israel faced defeat from Arab invaders, President Richard Nixon initiated an Operation Nickel Grass, an airlift of arms into Israel which saved the Jewish state.
Although the mentioned above Presidents of the United States of America contributed to the well-being and security of the Jews and State of Israel, their actions did not reach the significance of the initiatives implemented by Cyrus the Great, the King of Persia, who had divine guidance and support.
The post Nixon era of individuals occupying the presidency of United States is represented by the people with various level of enthusiasm and effort toward Jews and State of Israel. All of them realized that Jewish state represents a loyal and trusted partner in the unpredictable Middle Eastern region.
The Presidents, Barrack Obama and Joe Biden, do not deserve the status of supporters and strategic partners of Israel. But that is a subject for enough article.
Donald J. Trump, during his first term, made decisions which reflect the biblical vision of Israel. Trump recognized Jerusalem as undivided capital of the state of Israel in 2017 and in 2018 he transferred the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In 2019, Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He withdrew the United States from Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal. His administration was instrumental in brokering normalization deals with UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, which constitute the Abraham Accords. On November 18, 2019, the Trump’s administration stated that the settlements in the West Bank (the biblical territories of Samaria and Judea), are not inherently illegal under international law. These actions provide evidence of President Trump’s devotion to the well-being and security of Jews and state of Israel.
On March 3, 2015, the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, delivered a speech before a joint session of the US Congress. He was warning Americans of the danger of any nuclear agreement with Iran and emphasized the threat to United States and international security by Iran acquiring a nuclear bomb. President Donald Trump had expressed concern of nuclear-armed Iran and was critical of Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran (JCPOA), way before his first presidential term. For many years both, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, see the aspiration of theocratic doomsday regime of Iran to acquire atomic bomb as an existential danger to United States and Israel and threat to the world peace.
The Iran propaganda machine was declaring death to United States of America, the Great Satan, and death to Israel, the little Satan for forty-seven years. The leaders of Islamic Republic and their internal supporters and protectors, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are keeping the population of the country under ideological and physical tyranny. In late December of 2025, the protests by merchants and shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar quickly escalated to over 200 cities across all thirty-one provinces of Iran. The protesters were demanding improvement of living conditions and the end of the Islamic Republic system of oppression. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij militia ruthlessly silenced the voices of citizens of Iran. The independent investigators reported more than 30,000 have been killed at the time of the protests.
The Twelve-Day War began on June 13, 2025, with Israel bombing Iranian military and nuclear sites. Simultaneously, Israelis were liquidating Iran’s military leadership and nuclear scientific personal. Iran responded by sending numerous missiles and drones into Israel. On June 22, 2025, the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, assisted Jewish state by intercepting the hostile projectiles and bombing three Iranian nuclear sites. On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel have initiated a joint highly coordinated operation, which diminished Iranian military capabilities and infrastructure, led to destruction of Iran’s navy and reduced country’s energy production.
Stated above actions of President Donald J. Trump are testimonials attesting that he, like Cyrus the Great, the King of Persia, is chosen by God to better the lives of Jews and Israel. Donald J. Trump deserves a special place in Jewish history. At the same time, in the case of Donald J. Trump, it is appropriate to quote the saying by Andrew Carnegie: “I never listen to what a person says. I Iook what a person does”.
