Israelis, Palestinians welcome likely Donald Trump victory amid political chaos. Israel woke up to acute political uncertainty on Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of his Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, on Tuesday evening, pushed thousands of Israelis into the streets, and could shake the opposition out of the collective torpor that has characterized its conduct over the past twelve months. Israeli channels, like Al Jazeera, the most watched among Palestinians, broadcast the American elections live. The popular feeling faced with the announcement of a probable victory for Donald Trump seemed to be anxiety, that of possible unpredictable chaos after the billionaire’s return to the White House. For the Palestinians, who continue to die by the dozens every day in Gaza, it is difficult to believe that the change in American leadership will have a direct effect on their national condition. Among Israeli politicians, the far right, the driving force behind the government, quickly expressed their joy. Jewish supremacists Betzalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, ministers of finance and security respectively, both sent emoticons of Israeli and American flags on their networks, complete with a «God bless America» for Smotrich and a simple «Yesssssss» for his colleague, a settler from Hebron. Among Israeli commentators, smiles were rare, but some still welcomed the possibility of a tougher attitude from Washington towards Tehran. “At the end of the day, Iranian nuclear power is our only existential problem. We will handle everything else,” wrote journalist Ben Caspit, biographer and virulent critic of Benjamin Netanyahu. Nicolas Rouger.
Source: www.liberation.fr
