• United States ambassador to the United Nations has become the latest to express the belief that Israel has a ‘biblical’ right over the takeover of the West Bank.
• America first does not seem to exist when the topic of Israeli ambitions comes into the picture.
After numerous figures in Trump’s cabinet had already expressed support for Israel’s right of impunity and genocide, US ambassador to the UN, Elsie Stefanik, has become the latest to express such sentiment by claiming Israel has the biblical dominion over the occupied West Bank.
Stefanik’s comments came on Tuesday during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she also pledged to further Trump’s “America First” mission.
During the hearing, Stefanik talked about a range of topics, including the fact that she would audit US funding for the UN while also seeking to counter China’s influence at the international organisation and bolster Washington’s staunch support for Israel.
It was, however, the view on the West Bank that signalled the starkest contrast between the new Trump administration and the previous Biden administration.
In the hearing, Stefanik was asked if she shared the view of far-right Israeli Finance Minister Benzalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamer Ben Gvir that Israel has a “biblical right to the entire West Bank”.
She replied, “yes” during the exchange.
Trump’s cabinet filled with pro-Israel figures
Secretary of State Marco Rubio
Senator Marco Rubio has been a strong supporter of Israel throughout his political career.
In August of last year, Rubio sent a letter to the former administration of President Biden criticising the decision to sanction Israeli settlers linked to anti-Palestinian violence in the occupied West Bank.
He said: “Israelis rightfully living in their historic homeland are not the impediment to peace; the Palestinians are.”
Secretary of Defence Peter Hegseth
A former US Army veteran who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and a former Fox News host, Peter Hegseth has been appointed the secretary of defence, making him the highest authority of the armed forces of the United States after President Trump.
Hegeth appeared to endorse demolishing the Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, in order to make room for a Third Temple, something that coincides with the Israeli ultranationalists and evangelical Christians.
When describing a visit to the Al-Aqsa site he said: “And as you stand there, you can’t help but behold the miracle before you.
“And it got me thinking about another miracle that I hope all of you don’t see too far away. Because 1917 was a miracle. 1948 was a miracle.
“1967 was a miracle. 2017, the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital, was a miracle.
“And there’s no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.”
