At the beginning of 2024 I compared President Trump’s developing comeback to that of President Andrew Jackson’s ascension 200 years earlier in 1828 when he won the election with 55% of the popular vote. Andrew Jackson had also lost his bid for the Presidency in 1824 under dubious circumstances. President Jackson was the only President in U.S. history to actually pay off all of America’s interest bearing debt. He was a great President.
The main story of 2024 was President Trump’s landslide victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. President Trump and Andrew Jackson share much in common. However, the Middle East was also in the spotlight. After the atrocities of October 7, 2023 the Middle East has been forever changed. Israel which had spent 30 years of peacemaking went on the offensive and with good reason. 2024 will go down in history as the year Israel re-asserted itself and proved that it is the most powerful nation in the Middle East.
On March 12, 2024 Donald J. Trump clinched the Republican Party’s nomination. This was a historic achievement in its own right.
On April 13th Iran attacked Israel with 300-500 missiles and drones. This was an act of war. Israel retaliated on April 19th by destroying Iran’s S300 air defenses. This was a limited response due to the restrictions the Biden administration placed on Israel. However, it enabled Israel to enter Rafah on May 14th. The Biden administration held up Israel’s ability to go in until that point and Vice President Harris continued to voice her objections. Prime Minister Netanyahu was continually walking a tightrope with the Biden team. The Rafah operation proved to be one of the most important steps in further degrading Hamas. Militarily it was essential. It led to the daring rescue of 4 hostages on June 8th; Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv.
On June 27th President Biden debated President Trump. The poor performance by President Biden changed history forever.
On the same day( July 13th) that Israel eliminated Mohammed Deif who was one of the main architects of the October 7th massacre and Kidnappings as well as the Commander of the Qassam Brigades who had killed many Israelis since the 1990’s, President Trump was shot by Thomas Matthew Crooks in Butler, Pennsylvania. Crooks fired 8 bullets at the President.
On July 21st President Biden dropped out of the race for President.
On July 31st Ismail Haniyeh-the Chairman of Hamas’ Political Arm was blown up by a remote controlled bomb in his room in Tehran, Iran.
On August 27th Israel recovered Bedouin hostage taken on October 7th-Farhan Al-Qadi, father of 11.
On August 31st Israel found six hostages in a tunnel that had been murdered by Hamas 48-72 hours before. They included Hersh Goldberg-Polin 23, Eden Yerushalmi 24, Ori Danino 25, Alex Lobanov 32, Carmel Gat 40, and Almog Sarusi 27.
On September 27th Israel targeted the head of Hezbollah-Nasrallah who had killed many Israelis as well as Americans in his 30 year reign of Terror.
Iran again attacked Israel on October 1st with 180 ballistic missiles. This was a clear escalation. Israel could have used this opportunity to once and for all wipe out Iran’s nuclear capability. Again, the Biden administration did not let Israel do this. Only military targets were hit on October 26th. Iran has defiantly ramped up its Uranium enrichment since.
One of the turning points in the war against Hamas occurred on October 16th when Israeli Forces killed the chief architect of October 7th-Yahya Al-Sinwar. .
On. November 5th President Trump was decisively elected to become the 47th President of the United States.
The house of Assad fell on December 8th after a 60 year rule.
President Trump has his hands full. Iran, Hamas, the Ukraine, and the hostage crisis are still active problems. I am optimistic that President Trump will solve these intractable issues soon after taking office.