Trump names pro-Israel Rep. Lee Zeldin head of EPA
By isabelle // 2024-11-13
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It didn’t take long for president-elect Donald Trump to start appointing Zionists to high-profile roles in his administration, with the news that former Representative Lee Zeldin (R-New York) has been tapped to head the Environmental Protection Agency coming less than a week after the election. Trump announced the representative, who is known as one of the country’s most prominent pro-Israel politicians, will lead the EPA in a post on Truth Social, saying that he will “ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American businesses, while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards, including the cleanest air and water on the planet." He added that Zeldin will create new standards for environmental review aimed at helping the country grow in a healthy way. Trump publicly promised Zeldin a job in his administration while campaigning. He is considered by American Jewish media to be one of the highest-ranking Jewish Republicans in Congress and gained notoriety when he ran against incumbent Kathy Hochul for New York governor in 2022. Although he was unsuccessful, he came very close to winning. Trump’s statement went on to tout the representative’s pro-Israel resume, even though EPA head is not a role that requires Middle East diplomacy credentials. Trump wrote: “During his eight years in Congress, Zeldin served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. As one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress, he co-chaired the House Republican Israel Caucus, which had over 100 members. He was a vocal advocate on foreign policy, border security, military affairs, combating antisemitism, environmental issues, energy policy, and much more." Trump has indicated that he intends to reverse numerous EPA policies regarding the burning of fossil fuels and will rescind EPA vehicle pollution rules on his first day in office. It won’t be surprising if Zeldin’s EPA implements policies that happen to favor Jewish-owned businesses. The Republican Jewish Coalition, a group for which Zeldin sits on the National Board of Directors, said in a statement that it was “thrilled” by his appointment, adding: "Zeldin’s background in the military, in law, in the New York State Senate, and on Capitol Hill has given him a wealth of experience in public service to lead the fight to restore US energy dominance."

Trump administration will likely be stacked with pro-Israel figures

He's one of many pro-Israel figures who are expected to be given major roles in Trump's administration after he received huge sums from numerous Jewish mega-donors during his campaign. One big one was Dr. Miriam Adelson, who brought in well over $100 million for his campaign and has made no secret of her support for Israel occupying the West Bank. Adelson and her late husband, Sheldon, were very influential in Trump’s decision to move the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2017 and is expected to shape American policy toward Israel in some capacity moving forward, even if it is informally. Meanwhile, the co-chair of Trump’s transition team is Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick, and he is one of just a few names being considered for treasury secretary. The billionaire is a megadonor for Israeli and Jewish causes and raised $15 million for the Trump campaign at a single dinner at his home in the Hamptons. He personally donated $10 million and went on to raise $75 million more for the former president. Trump has also announced prominent Jewish ally Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff. Miller has often cited his Jewish heritage and accused those who criticize him of antisemitism. Elise Stefanik, who is a leading pro-Israel lawmaker and has been vocal against so-called "campus antisemitism," has been named U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in his upcoming administration. Sources for this article include: InformationLiberation.com JPost.com
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