Donald Trump endorsed claims that President Biden was enabling genocide in Gaza. At a rally in Pennsylvania, the former president responded to chants of “Genocide Joe” by stating, “They are not wrong. He (Biden) has done everything wrong.” Such a statement from the former president left political observers wondering whether Trump was looking to woo the Arab-American constituency, who have said they will not vote for the president come November’s elections for his lack of action to stop the killings of Palestinians in Gaza. Over 30,000 people have died so far in Israeli attacks.
Biden has faced attacks from within his own party as well as the public and the “Genocide Joe” call has become popular with Palestinian Americans and those devoted to the Palestinian cause. He has encountered this many times during this campaign in January when his speech was interrupted around 13 times with the slogan. The president acknowledged then. “They feel deeply. This is going to go on for some time.” This happened again in March when his speech was interrupted by a protester who said in a speech that went viral on social media.
“You’re a dictator, Genocide Joe,” the man yelled. “Tens of thousands of Palestinians are dead. Children are dying.”
Biden’s failings to assuage a large section of the American community on Gaza has been seized upon as an issue by Trump. Though the former president has reiterated his commitment to protecting Israel, he has also disapproved of Israel’s actions. In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump made it clear that Israel was losing the “PR war” and called for the killing to end. “And what I said very plainly is get it over with, and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people. And that’s a very simple statement. Get it over with. They’ve got to finish what they finish. They have to get it done. Get it over with and get it over with fast because we have to – you have to get back to normalcy and peace.”
Trump’s actions have alarmed some commentators in Israel and are also seen as his personal grouse against Prime Minister Netanyahu, whom he has not forgiven for congratulating Biden after his election victory. The former’s president hedging stance on Israel also goes against what the majority of Republican lawmakers wish for – Israel to act more resolutely against Hamas. Trump has so far blocked proposed US aid to Ukraine, and it remains to be seen how far he will go to support Israel.
The former president who has called Biden weak on Israel and has also claimed that the Hamas attacks would not have happened if he were president, had expressed his wish to solve the Israel-Palestine problem. He sought to do this when he was president through what he called the “deal of the century.” According to the Washington Institute think-tank this was one of the “few plans that recognises a separate Palestinian state with open channels for direct economic and security cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians.”
