US: Trump’s pledge to Israel secured his election victory

President Donald Trump’s pledge to support the State of Israel boosted his election victory, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said.

Speaking at the Zionist Organization of America’s annual gala in New York yesterday, Bannon said that Trump was the staunchest supporter of Israel since President Ronald Regan. Bannon mentioned the boost Trump had gained by pledging his loyalty to Israel through his promise to relocate the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

According to Bannon, Trump’s campaign had refined a clear message: “Destroy the physical Caliphate of ISIS [Daesh], designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, decertify the Iran deal, and move the embassy to Jerusalem.”

That message, said Bannon, had enabled Trump to recover from a 16 point deficit and gain significant ground on Hillary Clinton. He informed the 1,000 plus audience that he and his team had gained “100% degree of metaphysical certitude” that Trump, with his assertive pro-Israeli message was going to win.

Read: Between the Balfour Declaration and Trump’s declaration

Bannon also mentioned that Trump would not have succeeded in his election bid without the support of American Jewish billionaire and Republican donor, Sheldon Adelson.

“That victory would not have come without one other person besides Donald Trump – Sheldon Adelson. It is not about resources. It is about counsel, guidance and wisdom. You’ve gotta remember, folks, that we were down by double digits almost the entire time.”

In addition to being the owner of an Israeli daily newspaper, Adelson is thought to be the donor behind a network of tax-exempt entities in the US which are financing activities in the West Bank that violate international laws. He was the target of a lawsuit by Palestinians for supporting war crimes.

Read: Israel undermines Trump’s bargain of the century

A graffiti depicting the US President Donald Trump on the controversial Israeli separation barrier in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on 8 August, 2017 [Shadi Hatem/Apaimages]