From Tehran to Tel Aviv, Middle East Reaction to Trump Victory Varies Widely

JERUSALEM, Israel – From Tehran to Gaza to Tel Aviv, people and leaders throughout the Middle East are reacting to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's victory.

Some are complaining, while others are celebrating.

Saudi journalist Ghassan Ibrahim wrote, "Trump's victory is a victory for Israel in its war against terrorism. Trump has previously shown strong support for Israel, and he will continue this support, which could give Israel more freedom in its fight against Hezbollah's terrorism.”

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Kassem, in hiding in Tehran, remained defiant.

"We do not expect the end of aggression to be based on a political movement, and we will not beg for the aggression to stop. We will make the enemy demand an end to the aggression," Kassem declared.

Inside Iran, the rial, its currency, fell to an all-time low after the election, and many Iranians were pessimistic about their future.

Student Amir Aghaeian, 22, stated, "100 percent, he (Trump) will intensify the sanctions. Things that are not in our favor will be worse. Our economy and social situation will surely get worse."

In Israel, however, many Israelis believe Trump's presidency will mean more firm support from the U.S.

Ester Hadas from Tel Aviv noted, "It's a victory for all the American people, for all the Israeli people, and it's a victory that erases every word of antisemitism in the world."

"Basically, the governments are considered to be as business," American-Israeli citizen Martin Shwartz said. "And he would be someone that could take care of business, so to speak,  as opposed to someone like Kamala Harris."

Some in Gaza hope Trump will end their suffering.

"I hope to God that he is a man of peace, and finds a solution for us. Enough blood. You see how the streets have become. There is no house without a martyr, a wounded person, or a disaster in it," said Raghda al-Harazin who was displaced from Gaza City. 

In his farewell to Israel Defense Forces troops on Wednesday, Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, fired by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praised their unprecedented military achievements.

“We changed the balance of power in the Middle East – from Gaza to Tehran, from Hodeidah (in Yemen) to Dahaiah (southern neighborhood of Beirut). In all these places, things happened that had never happened before, and we set our enemies back decades," Gallant said.

Netanyahu spoke Wednesday with President-elect Trump. They talked about Israeli security and the threat Iran poses to both countries. 

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