GOVERNMENT

Donald Trump

President of the United States

Whether you love him, loathe him or think he's still a work in progress, it's hard to argue with the contention that the US-Israel relationship has scaled new heights with Donald Trump in the White House. Unlike his three predecessors, who signed a waiver on moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem every six months, Trump broke with the past, opening a new Embassy building in Israel's capital in May 2018 – seventy years after the US first recognized Israel's independence. Trump has also sparked the anger of the Palestinian leadership, who charge that his "Deal of the Century" will require them to make unforseen compromises, such as abandoning the much-vaunted "right of return" – code for the destruction of Israel. In regional terms, Trump's decision to walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran has set the stage for a tough new US policy towards the regime in Tehran that is grounded on robust sanctions. (Photo: Department of Labor / Shawn T. Moore.)