As the country braces for Nov. 5, Americans are not the only ones keeping a close eye on election day. For many in war-torn regions throughout the world, the outcome of the U.S. election could mean the difference between life and death.
Amit Segal, chief political analyst for Israel’s Channel 12, told Fox News Digital that Israeli citizens are following the U.S. election “very closely” and are fully aware of the “dramatic” impact the election will have on the Middle East and their lives.
He said that though the spirits of Israeli citizens have improved since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks, “the fact that there is an ongoing war with dead soldiers almost on a daily basis” is taking a toll on the people.
Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari speaks to the press from The Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023. A blast ripped through a hospital in war-torn Gaza killing hundreds of people late on October 17, sparking global condemnation and angry protests around the Muslim world. Spokesman Hagari on October 18 said that Israel had “evidence” that militants were responsible for the blast that killed hundreds at a Gaza hospital, saying a review proved others were at fault. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Over the weekend, Israeli air force jets bombed several Iranian military sites. Israel also launched an attack in northern Gaza in an effort to stop Hamas forces from regrouping. In response, Iran has vowed to “use all available tools to deliver a definite and effective response” to the attacks.
Amid this time of difficulty, Segal said that most Israeli citizens believe former President Donald Trump would enable Israel to defeat its enemies.
Segal shared a recent Channel 12 poll that found Israelis favor Trump over Vice-president Kamala Harris 66 to 17 percent.
RE’IM, ISRAEL – OCTOBER 07: A woman breaks down at the memorial to Yulia Waxer Daunov as family members and friends of the lost and kidnapped gather at the site of the Nova Festival to mark the one year anniversary of the attacks by Hamas, on October 07, 2024 in Re’im, Israel. Various commemorations are taking place around Israel to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attacks in Israel. On October 7, 2023, members of Hamas mounted a series of attacks and raids on Israeli citizens in the Gaza Envelope border area of Israel. 251 Israelis and foreigners were kidnapped with nearly 100 still unaccounted for and 1139 people were killed. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
“There is a hope in Israel that Trump would bring with him a much more staunch approach, a much more tough approach against Iran, thus enabling Israel to act more freely against the arms of the octopus,” Segal explained.
This election cycle, Trump has cast himself as Israel’s protector, contrasting himself with the Democrats who he said support the “total annihilation” of Israel. During his first term, Trump was instrumental in brokering the “Abraham Accords” which offered one of the most significant breakthroughs in improving Israeli-Arab relations in decades.
Segal said that Harris is more of an unknown regarding her policy toward Israel.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a church service at New Birth Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Ga., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“Harris is a mystery, but her party is not a mystery, and the party is rapidly turning to the left and that’s the reason why I say the vast majority of Israelis are worried,” he said.
Harris has said, “we are prepared to defend Israel, as we have before, we will again.” Yet, she has also insisted that “there must be a de-escalation in the region.”
Segal said that many Israelis, both inside and outside the government, are afraid that, as president, Harris would hinder Israel’s efforts in Gaza and beyond, resulting in reduced security for the country and its citizens.
In addition to allowing Israel to continue its defense efforts, Segal said he believes the most important question is whether the next administration will cooperate with Israeli hopes to disable Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“The Democratic administrations, led by Obama and Biden, opposed it. There is a hope in Israel that Trump would support it passively or even actively,” he said.
Trump says Israel should hit Iran’s nuclear facilities, slamming Biden’s response
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to a Q&A with Pastor Paula White at the National Faith Advisory Summit on October 28, 2024 in Powder Springs, Georgia. With eight days left until the election, Trump is expected to continue visiting battleground states through the week including participating in a campaign rally in Atlanta tonight. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
According to strategic military intelligence analyst and Russia expert Rebekah Koffler, leaders in Russia and Ukraine hope for a Harris victory.
Koffler was born and raised in Russia and formerly worked for the CIA as a Russian doctrine and strategy specialist.
She told Fox News Digital that Ukrainian leaders favor Harris because they believe she will continue the Biden administration’s policy of sending tens of billions of dollars in military aid. In the same vein, she said that Ukraine fears that Trump, who has criticized the Biden administration’s funding of Ukraine, will cut off aid and pressure them to make territorial concessions to end the war.
Koffler said that Russian intelligence services, meanwhile, have profiled Harris as “unintelligent, incompetent and vapid,” which she said, “makes it easier for them to deceive and manipulate her.”
FILE – Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un smile during their meeting at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport outside Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 19, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
Though many have criticized Trump’s conciliatory language regarding Putin, Koffler said that in terms of policy, the former president’s first term was “the most anti-Russia policy” in U.S. history.
She said, “there’s no one that Putin fears more than Trump.”
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If Trump is given a second term, Koffler believes the war will be over within the first three months. On the other hand, a Harris victory would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue the war as is and simply outlast Ukraine.
“[Putin] is prepared for a very long war,” she said. “So, if Harris continues, whatever she can squeeze out of the American people if she still can. Putin is ready for that. He’s ready to fight until the last Ukrainian.”