Elise Stefanik: America’s Israel First Ambassador to the United Nations

Rep. Elise Stefanik is set to be the new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), having accepted the offer on November 10, 2024. The Trump administration campaigned on an “America First” slogan, promising to put American interests above the rest. Therefore it would’ve made sense to pick an ambassador to the UN who cares solely for America and, in turn, the American citizens for whom every government official is purported to serve. However, the decision to select Elise Stefanik flies in the face of an America-first promise and instead stands as a calling for the status quo.

Stefanik started her political career within George W. Bush’s administration, serving in the Domestic Policy Council Staff and the Chief of Staff’s office from 2006 to 2009. Recruiting a former member of Bush’s team is already a red flag in an administration that has claimed to be separating itself from the neocons. Even amongst her fellow Republicans, she is unpopular, scoring an abysmal

Heritage Action Score of 60% for the 118th Congress, with 51% being her lifetime score. But, as it pertains to her upcoming role as ambassador to the United Nations, her most worrying trait, and the one that was seemingly responsible for her being hired, is her hawkish stance on Iran and her unyielding loyalty to Israel.

Aside from accepting over $200,000 in funds from American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Stefanik even travelled to the Knesset where she referred to Israel as a miracle, reiterated that America will never let Israel stand alone, and reaffirmed that she is a lifelong admirer, supporter, and true friend of Israel. Her devout commitment to Israel is also evidenced by her voting habits. She’s been a constant supporter of “defense” bills that ensure economic and military support to Israel, including the $14.3 billion sent to Israel in 2023 as part of the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Stefanik also voted to pass the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act which she claimed was to stop the International Criminal Court’s “attempts to undermine our precious ally Israel as she fights for her very existence against Iranian-backed terrorists.” In essence, anything that is against Israel, Stefanik appears to naturally oppose and that includes voting for measures to condemn the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (DSM) movement against Israel.

Her staunch and unyielding infatuation with Israel, coupled with her disdain for any of its critics, is most likely the reason that she has been chosen to represent America in the United Nations. While the Trump campaign promised America first, choosing Stefanik sends the message that America’s international stance, and in turn its foreign policy, will be ardently and unwaveringly pro-Israel and consequently hawkish and hostile against Iran and the other neighboring Arab nations.

This is supported by calls for a “maximum pressure” campaign, parroted by Stefanik herself and others within Trump’s new administration, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. The U.S. ambassador has even gone on record claiming that there’s “no such thing as a Palestinian” and that the identity is a political tool to “force land away from Israel.”

To imagine how Stefanik will operate in her role and represent America in the United Nations, one need only examine her views regarding the international organization. She has, unsurprisingly, called to oppose“any anti-Israel resolution that comes before the UN Security Council” and has chastised the United Nations for being critical of Israel, saying that it’s “completely shameful that the UN constantly attacks the sole democracy in the Middle East.” In line with her pro-Israel position, she has called to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a UN agency, and called the United States to “stand with Israel’s decision to ban Hamas-infiltrated UNRWA.”

The United Nations is at best a useless organization and, at worst, a dangerous one. But the reason is not because of its criticism of Israel, but instead because of its role as a pseudo-world government. While a true “America First” administration would leave the UN and cease all funding for it, it seems that the new ambassador will be tasked simply to veto everything critical of Israel and to stand behind its “greatest” ally on the international stage.

This likelihood is given more credence by Stefanik’s meeting with Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, the day following her new assignment, where she reaffirmed that “it has never been more important to stand with our most precious ally [Israel] and return to President Trump’s America First peace through strength foreign policy.” This seemingly translates to continuing involvement in the Middle East or, in other words, the status quo.

Although Stefanik’s role holds no real power, having such a hawkish ambassador speaking to the international community sets a troubling tone for the foreign policy of Trump’s administration. Stefanik will likely echo on the international stage Trump’s foreign policy positions which are promising to be hostile to Iran and unconditionally in “defense” of Israel. Whether or not that turns out to be the case, the choice to recruit Stefanik should worry anyone who hopes America breaks itself free from entangling alliances, disengages from foreign conflicts, and ceases to play world police.