Op-ed attacks US presidential candidate as “racist” and biased” towards Israel

Excerpt of op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist for the official PA daily

“Even though neither of the two [US presidential] candidates constitutes an example befitting the status of the US, [US President Elect Donald] Trump was the worse of the two candidates. This is because publicly and in his meetings with his supporters in various states in the US, he declared rogue positions, such as:

1. He is a racist, and he will establish a separation wall on the US-Mexico border in order to prevent the arrival of immigrants from Mexico and the Latin American countries. Likewise, he emphasized his hatred of Muslims, Africans, and colored people in general.
2. His misogyny and sexual harassment of women. Ten women have admitted to this and lodged a complaint against him.
3. He declared that he will expel immigrants who do not have official residency permits.
4. He announced that on the first day of his reign he will cancel the decisions made by [US] President [Barack] Obama, and particularly the health insurance for broad sectors of Americans.
5. He promised the Israelis, rudely and with blatant bias towards Israel, that he will transfer the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of Palestine. Likewise, he emphasized that he will give all support to the Israeli ethnic cleansing state – more than the support of the Obama administration, which was greater than the support of every administration that preceded it. This is in order to impose its (i.e., Israel’s) political vision on the Palestinian leadership, in a manner consistent with Israel’s interests and choice…

Nonetheless, it must be objectively admitted that Trump was courageous and adventurous like no other, so much so that he announced that he would continue his election campaign alone if the [Republican] party decided to remove its sponsorship from him. This proved his determination and ability to deal with challenges. Likewise, he has his own financial means…

Even though Trump has made a good number of rogue, childish, and racist statements, those decisions were part of the campaign.  Whatever their significance may be, their background and influence on his victory, they will change after he enters the White House and will not persist. This was clear in principle in his victory speech yesterday [Nov. 9, 2016], in which he was careful to address all sectors of the American people. He emphasized that he will be [the president] of the entire people and not just of his camp and supporters. The observers hope that the new US president will be honest in his declared direction after the victory, that he will act in accordance with the magnitude of the global events and developments, and particularly the Palestinian problem, and that he will act for its solution in accordance with the sources of authority and resolutions of international institutions, on the basis of the two-state solution within the borders of June 4, 1967. This [should be] in a manner consistent with the interests of all the peoples and forces in the region, and primarily the American interests, which will not be isolated from the angry responses if they continue to swim in the Israeli extremist and peace threatening quagmire.”