Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), one of the most prominent pro-Israel politicians in America, accepted the endorsement of several Arab American leaders for former President Donald Trump in New York City on Thursday.
Zeldin, who is Jewish, accepted the endorsement on behalf of Trump himself, who is campaigning in the swing states ahead of Tuesday’s election. The scene was almost surreal: Zeldin, one of the most prominent Zionists on Capitol Hill, standing shoulder to shoulder with Arab and Muslim leaders who may have rather different views on Israel.
But the Trump campaign appears to be pulling off one of the most remarkable political feats in recent memory: uniting pro-Israel conservatives with Arab and Muslim voters around a shared belief that only Trump can bring peace to the Middle East.
They may believe that for different reasons. Jews and evangelical Christians, citing Trump’s outstanding record on Israel in his first term, believe that Trump’s strong support for Israel will discourage Iran and its terrorist proxies.
Arabs and Muslims, though wary of Trump the first time around, note that he kept the U.S. out of new Middle East wars. Many are also fed up with the Biden-Harris administration, and believe Trump will have more influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decisions than President Joe Biden has.
A shared hope for peace is bringing both communities together in the Trump coalition — one in the belief that a strong America and a strong Israel discourage war, the other in the belief that Trump is serious about peace.
Trump is making a strong push for Arab support, particularly in swing states like Michigan, where he has also been endorsed by some local Arab and Muslim leaders — much to the shock and dismay of liberal media commentators.
There will certainly be many Jews, Arabs, and Muslims — perhaps a majority in each community — who will vote for Harris. But the defection of a signifiant minority of these historically Democratic voters could make a big difference.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.