Donald Trump’s presidency marked a seismic shift in U.S.-Israel relations, far surpassing the policies of any prior administration in its explicit support and acceleration of Israeli geopolitical objectives.

The concept of “Judeo-Accelerationism” refers to the swift and significant advancement of Israeli interests under American influence. This approach marks a departure from the gradual strategies of past U.S. presidencies, opting instead for bold actions that have enduring consequences.

Breaking Diplomatic Norms: Jerusalem and the Golan

One of the most significant moves came in 2018 when the Trump administration relocated the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This decision, in stark contrast to previous presidents who delayed such a move due to concerns about peace negotiations, was timed to coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary. The relocation defied international consensus and was followed by violent clashes, with Israeli forces turning against Palestinian protesters in Gaza. This act was more than symbolic; it signaled unwavering U.S. support for Israeli claims, disregarding international law and peace efforts.

The following year, Trump further demonstrated this shift in policy by recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. Despite being annexed by Israel decades earlier, this territory had never received official international recognition until Trump’s intervention, conveniently timed ahead of Israeli elections, thereby boosting Netanyahu’s political standing and indicating that territorial acquisition by force had U.S. endorsement.

Dismantling the Two-State Framework

The Trump administration also moved away from the two-state solution historically supported by the U.S. In 2019, Jared Kushner openly dismissed the relevance of this approach for both Israelis and Palestinians. The peace plan proposed by Trump’s team envisioned fragmented Palestinian territories, effectively allowing Israel to annex around 30% of the West Bank, which the Palestinians promptly rejected.

In 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that Israeli settlements were “not inherently illegal,” a significant shift from decades of U.S. policy and international law. This “Pompeo Doctrine” permitted the expansion of Israeli settlements, long seen as a major hindrance to peace efforts. The Trump administration’s Abraham Accords further diminished Palestinian influence by establishing diplomatic relations between Arab states and Israel, without any Palestinian concessions. This sidelining of Palestinian aspirations contributed to the tensions that erupted in the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Iran: The Frontline Proxy

Trump’s hardline stance on Iran was central to his accelerationist agenda. Pre-dating his presidential run, Trump declared Iran’s nuclear ambitions must be stopped “by any and all means necessary”. His withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 triggered a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign aiming to cripple Iran’s economy and force regime capitulation. The sanctions extended aggressively to Iran’s central bank and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s inner circle, marking a confrontationalness unmatched by previous administrations.

The assassination of General Qassem Soleimani in 2020 by a U.S. drone strike brought relations to the precipice of war and embodied Trump’s willingness to use lethal force to defend Israeli interests. Despite warnings from military leaders like Chairman of the Joint Chiefs about the risks of full war, Trump’s administration prepared and launched strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025, heralding a new phase of regional confrontation. Although these strikes reportedly failed to fully disable Iran’s nuclear program, they signaled an irreversible commitment to an aggressive posture aligned with Israeli security priorities.

Transferring Gaza and Policing Dissent

Domestically, Trump’s policies reinforced this paradigm. His 2025 executive order to “Combat Anti-Semitism” gave authorities power to suppress pro-Palestinian activism on campuses and deport foreign students involved in such causes. This represented an unprecedented use of federal power to silence political dissent that was seen as critical of Israel.

Trump himself floated the idea of forcibly relocating Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, describing the territory as a problem to be “cleaned out.” He further suggested that the U.S. might take over Gaza in the future and transform it into a lavish tourist zone—a manifest example of treating Palestinian lives and land as expendable in pursuit of Israeli priorities.

Financing and Staffing the Israel First Agenda

Behind these policies stood an infrastructure of political and financial support. Pro-Israel interests, notably Miriam Adelson’s Preserve America PAC, contributed over $215 million to Trump since 2020. This bloc softened opposition among neoconservatives and helped cement an administration that elevated figures who openly supported the most extreme elements of Israeli policy.

Ambassadors like David Friedman and Mike Huckabee championed settlement expansion and even contemplated population transfer of Palestinians — long considered a toxic fringe idea before becoming normalized under Trump. The administration’s alignment with these viewpoints institutionalized the agenda within the highest levels of U.S. government.

The Enduring Legacy: America Last, Israel First

What differentiates Trump’s presidency is not just individual policies but their cumulative normalization of a radical realignment. By shattering norms on Jerusalem’s status, settlements, annexation, and population displacement, Trump created irreversible facts on the ground that future leaders will find nearly impossible to undo.

This administration discarded multilateral diplomacy and international law, becoming a blunt instrument for Israeli expansionism. While earlier presidents pursued diplomacy — even with flawed results — Trump pursued dominance in service of a foreign power’s aims, often at American expense.

Despite campaigning on “America First,” his record reveals a stark inversion: American resources, soldiers, and diplomatic capital have been expended to guarantee Israel’s regional hegemony, no matter the cost to U.S. credibility, regional stability, or human life.

Trump’s “Judeo-Accelerationist” presidency marks a break from tradition with far-reaching consequences that will echo for decades, forging an uncritical U.S.-Israel alliance as a defining feature of contemporary American foreign policy.