At Trump Lookout, Gutnick Urges Israeli Leaders to Act Decisively

During a visit to the newly named Trump Lookout in Peduel, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gutnick, who funded much of the major tourist site, urged Israeli leaders to act decisively on sovereignty in Yehuda and Shomron, calling it a matter of pikuach nefesh. “We must not miss this opportunity,” he said.

By Anash.org reporter

During a special tour of the “Trump Lookout” at the Gutnick Center in the town of Peduel, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Gutnick told Shomron Regional Council Head Yossi Dagan and other political figures that now is the perfect time to push for full Israeli sovereignty over Yehuda and Shomron. “We must not miss this opportunity with the American administration,” he said.

The Gutnick Center, which includes the now-famous “Trump Lookout,” is a major tourist site built with support from Rabbi Gutnick and his family, in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Tourism. The site features several impressive observation points, including the “Balcony of the Nation,” which recently drew international attention when former U.S. President Donald Trump shared a video of Dagan announcing the site’s new name.

Rabbi Gutnick, an Australian businessman and the Rebbe’s personal shliach for matters of shleimus haaretz, toured parts of the region with Dagan, emphasizing the need for decisive action. “Now is the perfect time for sovereignty in Yehuda and Shomron,” he told him. “Today, people clearly understand how critical these areas are to the security of the entire country. We need to do everything we can to make sure full sovereignty is declared.”

He and Dagan also discussed efforts to strengthen the yishuvim in the area, especially given the ongoing war in Gaza and the threat from other fronts.

Rabbi Gutnick warned, “We must not miss this opportunity with the Americans. Unfortunately, we’ve already seen the cost of hesitation when it comes to Iran. Let’s hope we haven’t waited too long again.” He also stressed the importance of fully investigating the events of October 7 “in a serious and objective way, because it’s a matter of pikuach nefesh and can help prevent future tragedies.”

In an emotional meeting with bereaved families who lost loved ones in the October 7 massacre, Rabbi Gutnick read aloud a viral post that has struck a deep chord among Jews around the world. It said in part:

“This war isn’t being fought by politicians or polished spokespeople. It’s being fought by real people -19-year-olds, fathers, women who had been planning weddings, not funerals.

“In Israel, when a soldier falls, it’s not just a headline. It’s a friend, a neighbor, a cousin. The whole community mourns. You go to a shiva and half the town is there, because everyone knew him – he was at your kid’s bar mitzvah, sat behind you in shul, coached soccer on Sundays.

“They don’t want revenge. They just want to live. To see their families again. To come home. And still, they’re called monsters, murderers, oppressors – as if they chose this war.”

Rabbi Gutnick connected the message to the Rebbe’s firm belief that shleimus haaretz isn’t just an ideal – it’s a matter of life and death. He emphasized that the fight for Eretz Yisroel is not merely political – it’s spiritual and existential. “When we fight for this land,” he said, “we’re fighting for our very soul.”