Americans in settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank knew exactly who they wanted to win the US presidential election less than a week before it took place: Donald Trump.

According to a recent survey by Israel’s Channel 12 News, 66% of Israelis say they long for the days when the previous president lived in the White House.

During his previous tenure, Trump made Israel a top priority by relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem, acknowledging Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, and assisting in the normalisation of relations between Israel and a number of Arab nations through the so-called Abraham Accords.

Many Israelis now think Trump will provide even more assistance as the nation fights Iran and terrorist organisations supported by Iran in Gaza and Lebanon.

Eliana Passentin, 50, who migrated to Israel from San Francisco as a youngster, told AFP, “I’m proud to tell you that I voted for President Trump.”

As a mother and grandmother, Passentin faces greater risks than the typical Israeli.

She has been a resident of Eli, a group of Israeli settlements in the centre of the West Bank, for 29 years.

Although Israel has occupied the region since 1967, a two-state solution that is supported by the international community might turn it into a Palestinian autonomous territory.

“Our best ally”

Passentin works for the regional council in the area.

She remembers how in an effort to negotiate peace between Israelis and Palestinians and achieve a two-state solution, Washington’s successive administrations put pressure on Israel to halt the expansion of settlements.

“We are grateful to the United States of America, our greatest ally, but please know that we know how to manage our nation,” Passentin stated.

Passentin gestures towards neighbouring Israeli and Palestinian communities from her property, which offers expansive views of the whole region.

“I don’t believe that the presence of Israelis here is a barrier to peace. Conversely, I believe that the Israelis residing here are constructing the area for the benefit of everybody,” she stated.

According to her, the area was a Jewish centre throughout the period of the Bible, and Israelis are entitled to reside here under international agreements.

However, international law states otherwise, and the international community views Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as unlawful.

According to a Channel 12 poll, 93% of Israelis who vote for the right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back Trump’s campaign.

“Since October 7, things have changed,” Passentin stated, alluding to the 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel that set off the Gaza War.

Using biblical terminology for the southern and northern West Bank, she stated, “Now it’s a whole different story — it’s not about Judea and Samaria, it’s about Israel.”

“We are entitled to self-defence… and I believe that President Trump is aware of and respects that.

New Jersey-born neighbour Gedaliah Blum, 45, also stated that he chose Trump because he asked “what kind of future we want to have here.”

He questioned, “Do we want a future in which Israel is threatened with an embargo each time we defend ourselves?”

Threats of embargo

“Israel will not be pressured by Trump to sign a ceasefire that would allow Hamas to continue to rule Gaza.” They won’t pressure Israel to approve a peace deal with Lebanon that would give Hezbollah more authority.

Israel will be under continual “pressure” now that Kamala Harris is in the White House, Blum stated.

Pressure will be applied, embargoes will be imposed, and Iranian funds will be transferred to their coffers. Israel’s interests are not served by it.

Yisrael Medad, 77, of New York, stated that he thought Trump will benefit not just America but also “America’s friends abroad, including Israel” at the adjacent town of Shiloh, where an estimated 20% of the population is US citizens.

He stated, “I believe that the policies that a Republican candidate like Trump is advocating are best for the administration, Congress, and the American people.”

Regarding Israel, Medad stated that he thought Trump would treat the country more “equitably in terms of not denying its rights to defend itself… not only in a physical sense but also on the ideological front.”

Medad said, “That’s not the type of candidate I want in the White House,” referring to a recent instance at a Democratic campaign event where Harris failed to argue with a protester who claimed Israel was perpetrating a “genocide” in Gaza.