Trump chooses Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, with a markedly pro-Israeli profile, as US ambassador to the UN

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik will be the next United States ambassador to the UN under the new Donald Trump Administration. Stefanik was the one who brought down the president of Harvard, Claudine Gay, during the harsh interrogation to which she and other university presidents were subjected by the Education and Labor Committee that has been in charge of persecuting pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campuses.

“It is an honor to nominate Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my cabinet as United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an incredibly strong, tough and intelligent fighter for [la política] “America first,” Trump said in a statement sent this Monday, according to CNN.

Now, Stefanik, who calls the demonstrations against the Gaza war “anti-Semitic,” is the one who will be in charge of voting (and vetoing) Security Council resolutions and any proposals at the UN. Among which will also be included all those related to the Palestinian issue. Beyond rewarding the work done successfully leading one of the main causes of the Republican Party, the election of the congresswoman is a clear nod in favor of Israel and the country’s pro-Israel lobbies.

Stefanik was one of the members of the Republican Party who accompanied Trump to the opening of the national summit of the Israeli-American Council (IAC) that was held in Washington in September. As soon as he got on stage, the now president-elect showed his chest about how his party had brought down the chancellor of Harvard. “[Stefanik] totally destroyed the chancellor of Harvard. You saw her there with her big glasses, those big glasses… and she asked him a simple question and, in the end, she didn’t get a very good answer,” he said with some mockery.

The question Trump was referring to was: “Does calling for the genocide of Jews violate the university’s standards of conduct? Yes or no?” Gay responded that if speech “turns into conduct, it can be harassment,” a view also shared by University of Pennsylvania Chancellor Elizabeth Magill. The Harvard president tried to develop her argument on the issue, until Stefanik burst out: “It doesn’t depend on the context. The answer is yes. And that’s why you should resign. These responses are unacceptable.”

For Stefanik and much of the Republican Party, chants like “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” are considered calling for the “genocide of Jews” in Israel. In fact, much of the argument that has been used to persecute the camps that took place in the spring and the demonstrations that have continued is based on these interpretations of the songs.

Also among the IAC audience was Dr. Miriam Adelson, who since the death of her husband, Sheldon Adelson, has acquired the role of lobbyist in a private capacity. Her late husband was a major conservative donor to the Republican Party. Adelson, one of the richest women in the world, is intensely pro-Israel, as was her husband.

Adelson injected 100 million into Trump’s campaign, according to The Times of Israel. Now that the Republican will return to the White House, he will be one of the private people with the most influence over North American foreign policy. The Hamas attack on October 7 last year deeply unnerved Adelson. The choice of Stefanik as ambassador to the UN also aligns with the mega-donor’s position.

Before rising to prominence for her role in the resignation of Harvard’s president, Stefanik spent years positioning herself in the magnate’s inner circles as one of the greatest allies and confidants in the halls of Congress. She supported Trump in the 2024 campaign before he even launched his candidacy and aggressively campaigned on his behalf during the Republican Party primaries.

Stefanik’s story of rise within the Republican Party is similar to that of others like JD Vance: at first the New York congresswoman positioned herself as a moderate voice among Republicans, but little by little she turned towards the MAGA (Make America) orbit. Great Again) which quickly allowed him to rise through the ranks under Trump’s approval.

Under the Democratic Government of Joe Biden, one of the most pro-Israel in US history, a ceasefire resolution was vetoed up to three times and they also voted against recognizing Palestine as a full member state. Stefanik could follow the same line or even go one step further.