By now everyone has heard of the Trump Doctrine pithily encapsulated in the words "Make America Great Again." In President Donald Trump's foreign policy terms, and judging by his bellicose words and threatening actions, that also implies "Make America Isolated Again" and "Make America Neutral Again" as well as "Make America a Peace-Maker Again" as President Trump publicly abandons Ukraine, attacks its elected leader, casts doubts on America's alliance with and commitments to N ATO, and aligns himself with Russia as led by former KGB agent Putin who everyone regards as a dictator. (Trump is, of course trying to woo Russia away from Iran in order to enable a joint effort against its nuclear arms race, ed.)
During his first term as president Donald Trump earned his keep as far as Israel and the Jewish People are concerned: He recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, moved the American embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israel sovereignty over the Golan Heights, weakend and isolated Iran with severe sanctions, allowed Jonathan Pollard to move to Israel, commuted Sholom Rubashkin prison sentence, and all-around proved himself to be an Ohev Yisrael - the "best friend Israel ever had in the White House"!
While he repeats his slogan "Make America Great Again," at the same time, Trump openly brags of his relationships with China and North Korea's Communist totalitarian leaders. Trump has launched trade wars with America's closest neighbors, Mexico and Canada, and does not seem to have a high regard for America's traditional allies and their leaders in the Western World such as the United Kingdom, the 27 countries of the European Union, and the 32 member nations of NATO that stretch from Western, through Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern, Europe.
The proverbial cherries on top of it all is his wish to make Canada into America's "51st state", repossess the Panama Canal, and his arbitrary renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, a dig in the ribs at Mexico and presumably a poke in the eye/s of Latin America. There is also his stated desire to acquire Greenland that has belonged to Denmark for around 800 years. This is not to mention the havoc that he has unleashed with Musk and DOGE in the American homeland.
Trump talks about avoiding nuclear war and the dangers of bringing on World War Three while his policies may, unintentionally and with seeming self-righteousness, actually be contributing to the outbreak of another world conflagration by taking America out of play and thereby making the world unstable and unsafe. He's making enemies in trying to make friends out of America's and the West's enemies, such as Russia, China and North Korea and making enemies out of America's historical friends such as Canada, Mexico and the many countries of Europe and the world that look to America for protection and leadership.
The long-term implications for Israel of Trump's policies are also serious and troubling. As has been noted by some writers, Trump is actually a "peacenik" and that is how he clearly perceives himself in the war to the death between Russia and Ukraine. Trump is obviously appeasing Putin and Russia by constantly attacking Zelenskyy and Ukraine. He blames Biden's "stupidity" for America giving Ukraine $350 Billion in aid for its self-defense against Russia's invasion and aggression.
All this while Russia has in recent times invaded and bloodied Chechnya (invaded by Russia in 1994), Georgia (invaded by Russia in 2008), Syria (invaded by Russia 2015), and now Ukraine (invaded by Russia in 2014 and reinvaded in 2022). The American aid was not "candy" for Ukraine, as Trump calls it "(Zelensky) taking candy from a baby (Biden)", but was ultimately for the defense of the Western World and Western Alliance of which America is the leader and that puts the brakes on Russia's open hegemonic ambitions to recreate the crumbled and defunct former Soviet Union.
The latest sounds and reports coming out of Trump's emissaries' direct negotiations and by his negotiators with Hamas also seems to indicate that he is driven by visions of peace in dealing with the Arabs, even with the Jihadi terrorists of Hamas. Trump is rightly proud of his track record with the Arab countries that signed the Abraham Accords (Bahrain, UAE, Morocco, Sudan) who are nevertheless not on Israel's borders, so that the accords pale in comparison and have not accomplished more than the other peace treaties - not counting trade and tourism - Israel has with the Arabs of Egypt and Jordan that do share critical borders with Israel itself.
Trump is guided by a vision of peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia and he talks of wanting to make a "deal" with the Iranian Ayatollahs ignoring the fact that the rulers of both Saudi Arabia and Iran are not merely opposing conventional "businessmen" in keffiyehs who want to make "deals" but they are ruthless bloodthirsty fanatical Islamic fundamentalists who are opposed to the Western World's way of life and want to utterly destroy it, such as democracy, civil society, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and of speech and all the liberties that citizens of Western societies and countries enjoy and take for granted.
The good things that friends of Israel can agree with is that Trump lifted the partial American arms embargo of crucially needed weaposryimposed by Biden against Israel, he has given Israel a free hand with his political and geopolitical support including attacking Hamas again and stopping electricity and food trucks, and with his vision of exporting all the Arabs from Gaza and turning it into a new Mediterranean "riviera" that at this point remains but a near-Messianic dream waiting to come true for all true lovers of Israel!
More immediately and much more worrisome is the ongoing historical tendency of the USA to veer towards isolationism and neutrality and even artificial peacemaking, while it has long ago assumed the title of a dominant world superpower with its concomitant responsibility to the rest of the world. It is particularly resposible for the Western World because it is not just part of that world but it is its indispensable and indisputable leader.
History is a great teacher if one draws the right conclusions. If we go back and look at how America got involved in, and even contributed to the outbreaks of, the First World War (1914–1918) and the Second World War (1939–1945), we see strikingly similar repetitive patterns between them and to what is transpiring in the present. In each case America turned a blind eye to reality and refused to get involved in a critical war being fought in Europe between European nations but was willy-nilly, by the hand of God, forced to enter the fighting arena on the side of the Western Alliances in Europe and ensuring the victory of the Allies because America was king, eerily similar to today's geopolitical strategic realities.
To understand the situation we are in today, and that America can never and never will escape its leadership role in the Western World, it is worth exploring this phenomenon in greater depth:
American Neutrality, Isolationism and Peacemaking Prior to, and Contributing to, World War One
Since AI is everywhere nowadays, I asked Google AI the following question: "what was America's policy to getting involved in World War One"? The following was the answer, that I could not have said any better using "Google Search Labs | AI Overview":
"In 1914, when World War I erupted in Europe, the United States adopted a policy of strict neutrality under President Woodrow Wilson, aiming to avoid entanglement in the European conflict and maintain its focus on domestic issues. Here's a more detailed explanation:
1) Initial Neutrality: When war broke out in Europe in July 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared the United States would remain neutral, aligning with the nation's long-standing tradition of non-entanglement in foreign conflicts.
2) Public Opinion and Isolationism: Many Americans supported this policy of neutrality, viewing the war as a European affair and believing the U.S. should stay out of it. This sentiment was rooted in the long-standing policy of isolationism, which sought to avoid involvement in international conflicts.
3) Wilson's Goal: Wilson's goal was to keep America completely out of World War I and have the country serve as a peacemaker to other nations.
4) Challenges to Neutrality: While the United States initially maintained a neutral stance, this policy was tested and debated as the war progressed.
5) Shift in Public Opinion: Public opinion regarding neutrality started to change after events like the sinking of the British ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in 1915, which led to the deaths of over 1,000 people, including 128 Americans.
6) Entry into the War: The Zimmerman Telegram, which revealed a German proposal for an alliance with Mexico against the United States, further swayed public opinion towards war. Ultimately, the United States entered the war on April 6, 1917, after Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany.
To sum up, the United States entered World War 1 primarily due to: 1) Unrestricted submarine warfare: German U-boats attacking any ship near the British Isles, including American vessels, significantly angered the American public and government. 2) The sinking of the Lusitania: This British passenger liner was sunk by a German U-boat, killing many American citizens, further fueling public outrage against Germany. 3) The Zimmerman Telegram: A coded message intercepted by the British, revealing Germany's plan to incite Mexico to attack the United States if they joined the war."
American Neutrality, Isolationism and Fence-sitting Prior to, and Contributing to, World War Two
Then I asked "Google Search Labs | AI Overview" "what was America's policy to getting involved in World War Two"? Again, I could not have said it any better:
"Initially, the United States followed a policy of neutrality in World War II, but gradually shifted to providing aid to the Allies through programs like Lend-Lease, eventually leading to direct involvement after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Here's a more detailed explanation:
1) Initial Neutrality: When World War II began in 1939, the United States declared its neutrality, aiming to avoid entanglement in foreign conflicts. This stance was rooted in a strong tradition of isolationism, with many Americans believing that the nation's interests were best served by staying out of foreign wars. Congress passed the Neutrality Acts in the late 1930s, aiming to prevent future involvement in foreign wars by banning American citizens from trading with nations at war, loaning them money, or traveling on their ships.
2) Shifting Policy: As the war progressed and the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) made gains, the U.S. began to move away from strict neutrality. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, while publicly maintaining neutrality, secretly began preparing for the possibility of U.S. involvement. He sought to aid the Allies, particularly Great Britain, which was facing a dire situation against Nazi Germany. The Lend-Lease Act, signed in March 1941, allowed the U.S. to provide military supplies and other assistance to nations deemed vital to the defense of the United States, effectively bypassing the neutrality laws.
3) Pearl Harbor and Entry into War: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, shattered the illusion of neutrality and forced the U.S. into direct involvement in the war. The following day, the U.S. declared war on Japan, and Germany and Italy, Japan's allies, declared war on the United States. This marked the formal entry of the United States into World War II, transforming the nation from a supplier of war materials to a major combatant."
Avoiding American Neutrality, Isolationism, Peacemaking and Fence-sitting to Prevent World War Three
Naturally, America was burned by its bad experiences in Korea, Vietnam and even in the Middle East. At least in Korea, America was able to save South Korea thanks to the leadership of General MacArthur and no thanks to the vacillation of President Truman. Sadly America lost in Vietnam as President Johnson tried to fight a contained war, as well as losing Laos and Cambodia to Communism. America's ally the Shah of Iran was toppled by the virulently anti-American Ayatollah Khomeini exploiting the weakness and naivete of President Carter.
President Reagan's policies of building up American strength contributed to the fall of the USSR and Presidents H. W. Bush and W. Bush deployed American military might to bring down the evil of Saddam Hussein's Iraq. These presidents were not shy about not just saber rattling but of also using America's might to protect itself and its allies.
President Trump is faced by his own unique challenges of an aggressive Russia and a rapidly growing global military threat from the People's Republic of China. Of course America has to face economic, industrial and financial rivalry from other nations and blocs. However, screaming from the rooftops and holding non-stop mind-numbing news conferences and punishing trading partners with hurtful tariffs will not magically bring back factories from overseas and will not increase jobs in an America with a relatively small population that's living in the Leisure and Information Age. Cheap labor exists elsewhere by the billions in the highly focused and productive busy bee countries of Asia with endless supplies of cheaper labor to fuel their ever-growing economies and serve global markets. A battle that is lost before it is even fought.
President Trump needs to understand that he is the de jure and de facto leader of the Western World, also known as the Free World, the custodian of whatever is left of classical Greco-Roman culture and of the Judeo-Christian heritage, During his first term he proved himself an invaluable leader of the West and a great and reliable ally of Israel and Jewish People both in Israel and America.
The beginning of Trump's second term comes at a time when both Ukraine and Israel have faced invasions during President Biden's term in office. Trump's methods in trying to solve the Russia-Ukrainian conflict by withdrawing from the West and hitting out at it, and by pivoting to Neutrality, Isolationism, Peacemaking, and Fence-sitting does not bode well for the world's stability with an ever aggressive Russia asserting its own power beyond its own borders. Antagonizing China also makes no sense while at the same time standing firm in the defense of Taiwan, Japan and all of America's old-time allies who count on American leadership.
The laws of economics have their own rules that cannot be changed by Trump's blustering and all nations are interlinked in a global economy. Most importantly America's only option is to try harder, to compete and become tougher and more resilient. The Asians, Europeans and Latin Americans are hard workers and they deserve their success. America is by far the one nation that has contributed to their successes the most by promoting the theories, systems, policies of Capitalism, Free Enterprise, Open Markets and defeating Communism in the global arena.
America and Americans and President Trump must learn from history. They need to be more aware of what was once known as Manifest Destiny, Pax Americana, Exceptionalism, the Marshall Plan and even, when required, Interventionism and Internationalism not because these have been high and mighty American ambitions and notions but rather they are the foundations upon which America's foreign and even domestic policy was traditionally built and made it truly the greatest among all the nations of the modern world.
When America ignores these things and reverts to a kind of default self-destructive cocoon inducing a false sense of security elicited from impossible Neutrality, selfish Isolationism, fanciful Peacemaking and self-destructive Fence-sitting, it falls into the traps that both contributed to and brought it into World War One and World War Two. Hopefully, they won't bring it and the world to the doorsteps of World War Three.
Rabbi Yitschak Rudomin was born to Holocaust survivor parents in Israel, grew up in South Africa, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is an alumnus of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and of Teachers College–Columbia University. He heads the Jewish Professionals Institute dedicated to Jewish Adult Education and Outreach – Kiruv Rechokim. He was the Director of the Belzer Chasidim's Sinai Heritage Center of Manhattan 1988–1995, a Trustee of AJOP 1994–1997 and founder of American Friends of South African Jewish Education 1995–2015. From 2017–2024 he was a docent and tour guide at The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in Downtown Manhattan, New York. He is the author of The Second World War and Jewish Education in America: The Fall and Rise of Orthodoxy.
Contact Rabbi Yitschak Rudomin at izakrudomin@gmail.com
