A Jewish and former Democratic congressman's case for electing Donald Trump in 2024

(JTA) — Voters weigh their values and priorities before casting their ballot for president. For me, achieving and maintaining peace in the world is the single most important issue to consider when choosing the president of the United States.

When we look at the last four years of the Harris-Biden administration versus the four years of President Trump’s administration, there is no comparison. For the four years of Trump’s presidency we had peace, but the world is very different today.

President Trump eliminated the funding to Iran when he withdrew the United States from the nuclear agreement with Iran. Iran was on its knees financially and could not fund its terrorist proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. Harris-Biden ordered the suspension of Iran sanctions, allowing as much as $100 billion dollars to flow to Iran, money which has been used by Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis to kill Americans, Israelis, and citizens of many other countries.

President Trump designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization in January 2021. The Harris-Biden administration removed that designation one month later, before reversing course in January 2024.

Remember: Iran does not just want to destroy Israel; Iran wants to destroy the United States. In the Iranian parliament they chant: “Death to America – Death to Israel.” Iran is trying to build nuclear warheads to put on ballistic missiles to attack the United States. Hundreds of those same ballistic missiles were sent by Iran directly at Israel.

President Trump had a credible policy of using American force when necessary, including eliminating Iran’s terrorist mastermind, Qasem Soleimani, leader of the Iranian Quds Force. The Harris-Biden administration has effectively removed that policy. Iran attempted to assassinate President Trump on American soil and is plotting to assassinate former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Director John Bolton and other senior officials. These threats are credible and serious, according to recent reports. When the United States is seen as weak, deterrence fails and threats increase.

I think that there is a disconnect sometimes when President Trump says something that no other elected official would say. Sometimes we forget that President Trump is not a politician. Sometimes we forget that his election to president in 2016 was unprecedented in American history. He has said things that I would not say. Sometimes his sarcasm and attempts at humor offend people. But when we judge him on his actions, his policies and what he achieved for the American people, I think the picture is clearer.

I don’t take any of this lightly. All four of my grandparents were Democrats their entire lives. My parents were Democrats their entire lives. None of the six ever voted for a Republican. I have been a Democrat since I registered to vote at 18. There is no one who can question my lifelong loyalty to the Democratic Party. In 2000, I wrote checks for more money to the Al Gore presidential campaign than anyone else in the United States. On Jan. 6, 2001, I made the motion on the floor of the United States Congress to challenge the certification of the election of George W. Bush. I was a Democratic elected official for 22 years, 12 of which I spent in the U.S. House of Representatives from the State of Florida.

Over the course of my career, I had the distinction of hiring and mentoring two future leaders of today’s Democratic Party. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee, was my chief of staff in the Florida state legislature, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was an aide in my congressional office.

Since leaving office in 2004, I have divided my time between Florida and Israel, where my children and grandchildren live.

I have only voted for a Republican one time in my life, in 1980. I voted for Ronald Reagan when he ran against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, because Carter’s policies of weakness and appeasement were an existential threat to America, Israel and the world. I will cast my second vote for a Republican on Nov. 5, 2024, for very similar reasons.

There are many other policy issues that voters may consider when electing a president. I am personally more aligned with President Trump’s positions opposing illegal immigration and transgender students competing in high school girls’ sports. As a founder of Hebrew-language charter schools, I favor school choice, a Republican-aligned idea that Democrat Bill Clinton did as president. Our economy was thriving under President Trump. He implemented many ideas that “experts” said were crazy, but the fact is that his policies worked. President Trump also passed the bipartisan “First Step Act” regarding criminal justice reform that the “experts” said could never be passed (and Kamala Harris voted for that legislation).

Those are issues that matter to me. Other people may prioritize issues like abortion, health care or entitlement reform. Those are important national conversations for us to have. But I believe deeply that given the existential threats we face today, our security and our strength in the world are a prerequisite for those necessary conversations. When our economy is strong, when our military, intelligence and diplomatic advantages are clear, then our country, our allies and our values are secure. Under President Trump, we were much stronger and safer than we are today. We can’t afford four more years of weakness and rising threats.

To me, the choice before voters this year is clear. The world is a very dangerous place due to the Harris-Biden administration’s foreign policy. The world will become a much more dangerous place if Kamala Harris gets a promotion and is elected our 47th president. Under President Trump, the United States experienced four years of peace and prosperity. We can expect more of the same in the next four under a second Trump Administration.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.