President Trump’s speech at the Zionist Organization of America’s annual gala previewed a man itching to begin his trek back to the political promised land. He told the crowd that he was going to keep them in “massive suspense” ahead of what he has teased as a major announcement Tuesday evening.  

Mr. Trump was tuxedo-clad, a sartorial choice he attributed to a desire to “honor Israel.” He arrived at Pier 60 from LaGuardia Airport to receive the Theodor Herzl medal, an award previously bestowed on Arthur Balfour, David Ben-Gurion, Menachem Begin, Harry Truman, and Winston Churchill. 

The president accepted the honor by quoting Herzl. The journalist who envisioned the Jewish state wrote these words, which were repeated by the one-time leader of the free world: “The Jews who will it shall achieve their State. We shall live at last as free men on our own soil. The world will be liberated by our freedom, enriched by our wealth, magnified by our greatness.”

At Manhattan’s westernmost edge, Mr. Trump defended his record in the Middle East and intimated that his days setting policy are not memories of a bygone age, but harbingers of one yet to come.   

Speaking to a supportive crowd that came to its feet for several standing ovations amidst the occasional shout of “four more years,”  Mr. Trump crowed that he did “better” in his second run for president than his first one, notwithstanding that, as he put it, “something screwy with our elections” kept him out of the White House.

Mr. Trump made no mention of the results of the midterm elections, which were widely seen as weakening his standing within the GOP, nor did he mention that looming prospect of an indictment being handed up in connection to either the events of January 6, 2021, or the trove of documents found at Mar-a-Lago. 

Instead, Mr. Trump offered a defense of his record in the Middle East and lambasted the “horrible things” done in the region by “Joe Biden and Barack Hussein Obama.” He claimed that he decided to recognize the Jewish state’s annexation of the Golan Heights in “under five minutes.”  

Mr. Trump also claimed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “would never have happened” if he were still president, touting his “great relations” with Presidents Putin and Zelesnky. Lamenting the loss of life that has ensued from that war, he warned, “Taiwan could be next.”

The 45th president was not afraid to draw out the political implications of his record. He noted that “Democrats get 75 percent” of the Jewish vote, a trend he thundered “cannot continue.” He asked, “What the hell is going on?” and lamented that “people who happen to be Jewish are not doing the right thing” in failing to support him. 

These comments come weeks after Mr. Trump posted on his Truth Social site that “U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel- Before it is too late.” He also claimed that his popularity in Israel is such that he could “easily be” prime minister of that country. 

Mr. Trump had harsh words for his own party as well, observing that there were “Republican presidents who didn’t do a damn thing for Israel — but I did.” If he were still in the White House, he claimed, “we would have everyone signed up for the Abraham Accords.” In contrast, he sniped, the Biden administration “has done nothing” to further the scope of the agreements.

The former commander in chief twice reiterated that withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal was his most important contribution to Israel’s security, labeling the agreement struck under President Obama “corrupt.” Highlighting the dangers to Israel, he observed that if Israel didn’t have “great generals,” it “won’t be around.”

Mr. Trump expatiated on his interactions with the Palestinian Arabs, noting that they were “very difficult,” which led him to ask, “Why are we giving them $750 million?”

Before taking his leave, Mr. Trump ribbed the audience, asking, “Does anyone love Israel more than the United States?” He waited a beat, and then acknowledged in respect of the two countries — “you love both.” 

“I am with you all the way,” Mr. Trump exclaimed, before bounding off the stage.