Haviv Rettig Gur
This is...an unwise move, America. Israel cut tariffs to zero, as asked, and still faces a huge 17% tariff. Because it's not really a "reciprocal tariff." That's a stupid lie. It's a punishment for our trade deficit. But here's the thing, America. We literally can't prevent that trade deficit. We consume a LOT of American goods. But lots of that consumption - McDonald's and Coca-Cola, for example - is via local subsidiaries established here by those companies. It doesn't count in the "import" side of the ledger. And Israel is a tech-heavy exporter. You keep buying our tech (and our tech companies) for vast sums while our population is just too small to buy as much from you. In other words, our trade deficit is a function of how valuable you find our tech, of our usefulness to the American economy, and especially the tech and defense industries. Long story short, you're punishing us for things we can't control - and for the very things you find most valuable about us. And there's nothing we can do to change it. I'll put it bluntly, as a genuine lover of America: This is screw-balls. This is not a policy. This doesn't incentivize favorable trade with you. This is telling the world you're not trying to make sense or seriously pursuing your own interests. You're just raging. Our products are good enough to be desirable everywhere. Even our enemies want them. If you decide, for no reason any American official can currently explain, that we can no longer sell them to you, we will still find buyers. So help me out, Americans. What the hell is going on here? We're small, you won't notice if our trade goes elsewhere. But you're doing this to everyone. If you didn't do your homework on us, what are the chances you've done your homework on anyone else? How is this blind rage going to end well for ordinary Americans?
