Trump has picked many strong, pro-Israel leaders to serve in his administration. How will they impact America’s relationship with Israel?

From The Hill. President-elect Trump is compiling one of the most pro-Israel teams of any administration in history, following a presidential battle that saw Vice President Harris lose support from voters upset the Biden administration armed Israel in its war against Hamas.

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The emerging team suggests the Trump administration, backed by a GOP-controlled Congress, will give the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even more unfettered support than the Biden administration …

Here’s a look at who are the key players.

Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mike Waltz

Trump’s picks of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of State and Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) as his national security adviser put two experienced foreign policy and national security strategists in Trump’s orbit.

Both have staked out hard-line positions on supporting Israel in its defense against Iran and Iranian-backed proxies, like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen.

In 2020, Waltz issued support for then-President Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East —which gave Palestinians limited autonomy among disconnected territory in the West Bank and gave Netanyahu a green light to de facto annexations of Israeli settlements. …

The next goal would be to bring Saudi Arabia into participation, something Trump in his first term and President Biden were unable to do, largely because of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called for an irreversible path to a Palestinian state as necessary for any deal with Israel, but he also wants a mutual defense pact with the U.S. and help on building a civilian nuclear program. …

[Rubio’s] experience on Capitol Hill could help Trump find a workable path forward on carrying out the president’s vision. …

Rep. Elise Stefanik

Trump’s nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations signals a ringing endorsement for the congresswoman to take her combative and confrontational public persona to the microphones at the U.N. …

Trump in his first term used then-Ambassador Nikki Haley to call out what was viewed as anti-Israel bias at the U.N. The previous Trump administration ended support for the U.N. body providing aid for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA; pulled the U.S. out of the human rights council; and initiated a withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

Stefanik is expected to continue that approach but with more skepticism toward the institution as a whole …

Mike Huckabee

Trump has nominated former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) as ambassador to Israel, a position that requires Senate confirmation.

Huckabee is familiar to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and the Netanyahu government. He’s a Christian evangelist who has led paid tours to Israel and supports religious, Jewish claims to the West Bank, rejected Palestinian claims to territory and offered support for Israeli annexation.

If confirmed, Huckabee would likely play a role in shifting U.S. policy to recognize Israeli settlements considered illegal under international law. …

“He supports this concept of a greater Israel, Israel controlling the entire territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, that’s a Mike Huckabee vision, it’s a vision that has been embraced by the far-right in Israel including members of the Netanyahu government,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) …

Steve Witkoff

Steve Witkoff, who is less known among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, has been appointed as special envoy for the Middle East.

Witkoff is a businessman, real estate developer and close personal friend to the president-elect, with no discernible foreign policy or Middle East experience. …

It’s not clear what responsibilities Witkoff will have, but Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner similarly had no Middle East or foreign policy experience and helped shepherd through the Abraham Accords. …

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(Excerpt from The Hill. Photo Credit: Suzy Brooks on Unsplash)