Trump cabinet picks: A dream line-up for Israel's far right

On the other hand, there is a new and younger generation that is a proponent of the America First policy. These new leaders are less willing to involve the US in conflicts, often arguing that China is the main threat and that Washington should focus almost all of its attention on this conflict.

In Israel, those who know how to read the tea leaves of MAGA decision-making were slightly concerned that the second camp could get a leg up. The sidelining of Mike Pompeo—who had been angling for the secretary of State position—as well as former UN Ambassador Nikey Haley, were seen as a possible sign that neocons were falling out of favour. This marked departure from traditional Republican foreign policy was also visible in Trump's vice president pick: JD Vance. Vance has advocated for a more cautious US policy in the world and less American intervention. In a recent interview, he warned that while Washington supports Israel, the two countries' interests do not always align. This is a fairly obvious statement—after all, the interests of two given states rarely align perfectly— but expressing it was a sign of a more overtly self-centred foreign policy.

This is not to say that the America First proponents aren't pro-Israel themselves. Elbridge Colby, one of the figures whom Tucker Carlson—a major backer of the America First camp—appeared to push as a potential pick, is a staunch supporter of Israel. He has described Israel as the "model ally" because of its ability to defend itself without asking too much of Washington. For her part, Tulsi Gabbard—whose pick as the new director of national intelligence shocked many in and outside of the US due to her pro-Russia and pro-Assad positions—has taken positions that could concern many US allies. Yet, on Israel, she has largely towed the traditional Republican line of iron-clad support.

Iran hawks, Crusader tattoos, and Palestine deniers

The main problem the Israeli government may have with this new generation is that it is perhaps less predictable and more inclined to put limits on US support for Israel than neocons. Hence, the Israeli government was likely pleased that Trump did not stray too far from traditional Republican picks.

Read more: Netanyahu favours Trump, but he could come to regret it

Let's start with Mike Huckabee, Trump's pick for US ambassador to Israel. A fervent Christian Zionist, he rejects a two-state solution and even says there is no such thing as a Palestinian. In an interview in 2017 with the CNN news network, he said: "There is no such thing as a West Bank. It's Judea and Samaria (the territory's biblical name). There's no such thing as a settlement. They're communities, they're neighbourhoods, they're cities. There's no such thing as an occupation." He even advocated for Palestinians to go to Jordan, Egypt or Syria, where he says, "there is plenty of land."

And in a clear sign that Trump's "maximum pressure" policy on Iran is bound to make a comeback, Brian Hook—Trump's former Iran envoy—has been chosen to lead the transition at the State Department. In addition, Elise Stefanik, who was swiftly appointed as the new US ambassador to the UN, immediately called for the return of maximum pressure against Iran.

As for secretary of state, Trump went with Marco Rubio. The senator from Florida ran on a rather hawkish platform in 2016, including with regard to Iran, during the Republican primaries, which Trump ended up winning. He has since watered down some of his views but not his support for Israel. Rubio has called to give Israel what it needs to defeat Hamas and supported Israel's offensive in Rafah (at a time when the Biden Administration was reluctant to do so). He has also backed Trump's "maximum pressure" policy with regards to Iran and called for its reinstatement.

Read more: Trump cabinet picks signal harder line on Iran

In line with those picks, the president-elect has also named Mike Walz as his upcoming National Security Advisor. A former Green Beret, Walz has been a constant critic of Biden's perceived policy of "appeasement" vis-a-vis Iran and a key supporter of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Walz has even advocated strikes against Iran's economic and nuclear sites prior to Israel's 26 October attack on Iran while also being a key supporter of the expansion of the Abraham Accords.

The most surprising pick came when President Trump named Pete Hegseth as defence secretary. Hegseth is a relative outlier, yet he does support Israel in no uncertain terms. Hegseth sports a Jerusalem Cross and "Deus Vult" ("Gods wills it") tattoos—two symbols tied to the Crusades and several Hebrew tattoos—including Jesus's name in Hebrew. Of course, a man isn't necessarily his tattoos, but one should be pretty set in his views to get them permanently inked on their body. Hegseth has been a staunch supporter of Israel, calling on the US to let Israel "finish" the job in Gaza and supporting military actions against Iran.

Overall, these picks bode well for Israel and give promise to an even more friendly administration than that of Biden. While the US and Israel may argue as to how far Israel should go against Iran or the way to end the conflict in Gaza or Lebanon, the general feeling within Netanyahu's entourage, as well as within Israel's far right, is one of jubilation. In fact, they couldn't have picked more favourable appointees themselves.