Killing them with kindness
Time and again, U.S. President Donald Trump demonstrates “peace through strength” in action
By Joseph Frager
JNS
Nov 23, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has been Israel’s best friend ever in the White House.
He has a long and enduring relationship
with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. He did what few thought
possible; he brought home all 20 of Israel’s living hostages after two
years of captivity by Hamas in Gaza. He brought back most of the bodies
of murdered hostages, including Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, and he has pledged to bring back the remaining three. The Jewish people have to be eternally grateful for this.
He is a rare human being with a big heart.
In his second term, his public persona and his private persona have
coalesced. Everyone will tell you in private that he is a charming,
engaging and warm person. He is much more comfortable as POTUS 47 than
POTUS 45. In less than a year in office, he has worked to transform
America and the world.
His most life-changing, transformational
moment so far was when he ordered the bombing of nuclear sites in June
during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran. I personally had been working on
this for more than 20 years, as were many others. By finally doing what
needed to be done, Trump established himself as the unabashed,
unequivocal and fully accepted leader of the world. It was his Lincoln
Gettysburg Address and Ronald Reagan “Tear down these walls” moment. He
had reason to bask in the glory of his success.
However, it had a much more profound
impact on the Arab world with far-reaching consequences. I believe that
it will ultimately bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war
with Ukraine. Indeed, the ramifications of the United States destroying
the Iranian nuclear facilities are just beginning to be felt. Iran may
want to rebuild, but its citizens have a much different idea. I am sure
that they will eventually topple the mullahs.
Trump’s triumph in Iran brought fear and
respect to some troubling Muslim heads of state. The first was Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, who has been a thorn in
Israel’s side for a long time and has had an on-and-off relationship
with Iran. He also purchased Russian S-400 air-defense systems from
Russia in 2019. This led to his expulsion from the F-35 fighter-jet
program.
Two days after Trump obliterated Iran’s
nuclear program, Erdoğan met with him at the NATO Summit on June 24. The
leader of Turkey immediately changed his tune and re-ingratiated
himself with the American president. This led to a meeting at the White
House on Sept. 25. Trump hammered out a number of trade deals worth $100
billion with Turkey, which ordered a large number of Boeing 787 and 737
Max airplanes.
I have no doubt Trump knows exactly who he
is dealing with in Erdoğan. He would rather take the tact of disarming
with kindness rather than bitter confrontation. This is his version of
“peace through strength.” It is precisely how he brokered the Gaza
ceasefire agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13.
On Nov. 10, Trump met with the former head
of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Al-Nusra Front in Syria, the new president of
Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who had been imprisoned by America from 2005 to
2011. This is a work in progress. Trump is trying to bring him into the
Abraham Accords—in other words, “killing them with kindness.”
On Nov. 18, Trump welcomed Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the White House. The Saudis were
quite happy with Trump’s actions against Iran. Once again, the U.S.
president used the “honey rather than vinegar” approach with Saudi
Arabia.
He did the same thing with Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York, on Nov. 21.
If any other president tried to do what
Trump has done, it might never have worked. It’s only possible because
he has such a strong and deep relationship with the Jewish people and
Israel. It is “peace through strength” in action.
And know this: If any of the individuals
the president showered with kindness and graciousness misbehave, they
will find out that they made a terrible mistake. Just ask Iran’s
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
U.S. President Donald Trump has been Israel’s best friend ever in the White House.
He has a long and enduring relationship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel. He did what few thought possible; he brought home all 20 of Israel’s living hostages after two years of captivity by Hamas in Gaza. He brought back most of the bodies of murdered hostages, including Israeli soldier Hadar Goldin, and he has pledged to bring back the remaining three. The Jewish people have to be eternally grateful for this.
He is a rare human being with a big heart. In his second term, his public persona and his private persona have coalesced. Everyone will tell you in private that he is a charming, engaging and warm person. He is much more comfortable as POTUS 47 than POTUS 45. In less than a year in office, he has worked to transform America and the world.
His most life-changing, transformational moment so far was when he ordered the bombing of nuclear sites in June during Israel’s 12-day war with Iran. I personally had been working on this for more than 20 years, as were many others. By finally doing what needed to be done, Trump established himself as the unabashed, unequivocal and fully accepted leader of the world. It was his Lincoln Gettysburg Address and Ronald Reagan “Tear down these walls” moment. He had reason to bask in the glory of his success.
However, it had a much more profound impact on the Arab world with far-reaching consequences. I believe that it will ultimately bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war with Ukraine. Indeed, the ramifications of the United States destroying the Iranian nuclear facilities are just beginning to be felt. Iran may want to rebuild, but its citizens have a much different idea. I am sure that they will eventually topple the mullahs.
Trump’s triumph in Iran brought fear and respect to some troubling Muslim heads of state. The first was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, who has been a thorn in Israel’s side for a long time and has had an on-and-off relationship with Iran. He also purchased Russian S-400 air-defense systems from Russia in 2019. This led to his expulsion from the F-35 fighter-jet program.
Two days after Trump obliterated Iran’s nuclear program, Erdoğan met with him at the NATO Summit on June 24. The leader of Turkey immediately changed his tune and re-ingratiated himself with the American president. This led to a meeting at the White House on Sept. 25. Trump hammered out a number of trade deals worth $100 billion with Turkey, which ordered a large number of Boeing 787 and 737 Max airplanes.
I have no doubt Trump knows exactly who he is dealing with in Erdoğan. He would rather take the tact of disarming with kindness rather than bitter confrontation. This is his version of “peace through strength.” It is precisely how he brokered the Gaza ceasefire agreement in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13.
On Nov. 10, Trump met with the former head of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Al-Nusra Front in Syria, the new president of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who had been imprisoned by America from 2005 to 2011. This is a work in progress. Trump is trying to bring him into the Abraham Accords—in other words, “killing them with kindness.”
On Nov. 18, Trump welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to the White House. The Saudis were quite happy with Trump’s actions against Iran. Once again, the U.S. president used the “honey rather than vinegar” approach with Saudi Arabia.
He did the same thing with Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected mayor of New York, on Nov. 21.
If any other president tried to do what Trump has done, it might never have worked. It’s only possible because he has such a strong and deep relationship with the Jewish people and Israel. It is “peace through strength” in action.
And know this: If any of the individuals the president showered with kindness and graciousness misbehave, they will find out that they made a terrible mistake. Just ask Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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