Germany’s foreign minister, Sigmar Gabriel,
recently spoke out against what he called the “Trumpification” of the Middle
East.
“The recent massive arms deals President Trump
made with the Gulf monarchies exacerbate the risk of a new arms race … I am
very concerned by the dramatic escalation of the situation and the consequences
for the whole region,” Minister Gabriel said.
He was referring to the White House siding with
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against Qatar for its evident support
of Iran and jihadist terror via the Muslim Brotherhood. This has built into
quite the standoff and the resulting blockade has had ripples throughout the
region. The Qatari riyal has taken a beating and they are seeing compensation
for the blockade. In addition to the Saudis and UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Maldives
and Yemen have all cut ties with Qatar.
It's a mess all right, but with due respect to
the Germans and other critics, Trumpification may not be such a bad thing. In
taking a hard line against Doha, the President is continuing the Bush doctrine,
that the U.S. "should make no distinction between terrorists and the
nations that harbor them--and hold both to account." Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson is within his purview to try to negotiate a solution to this
standoff, after the proper lesson has been learned, but despite his evident
misgivings and indignation about the key role played by Trump son-in-law and
key advisor Jared Kushner, he should support his boss on this.
Trump reportedly doubled down on his position
in a call with Gulf region leaders. According to the White House, as reported
by Reuters, “"He reiterated the importance of stopping terrorist financing
and discrediting extremist ideology. The president also underscored that unity
in the region is critical to accomplishing the Riyadh Summit's goals of
defeating terrorism and promoting regional stability," the White House
said.
"President Trump, nevertheless, believes that the overriding objective of his initiative is the cessation of funding for terrorism," it said.
In addition to its links with the Egypt-based
Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar has also nurtured ties with Israel’s most fierce
enemy, Hamas, under the claim that it is trying to promote more engagement and
moderation. (That claim was bolstered by a recent Hamas statement that seems to
accept a two-state solution, albeit one that does not formally recognize
Israel.)
Yes, it was disappointing that the president
has shelved his campaign promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.
But he certainly made a solid statement about
Jerusalem as the first sitting president to visit the Western Wall. And there’s
much else to like about the emerging Trump Middle East policy. Unlike his
predecessor, he acted quickly when Syria crossed the imaginary 'red line' by
gassing civilians, launching a quick and punishing airstrike.
He also seems to take the more realistic view
of the region and what our goals there should be.
Writing in Politico, Steven A. Cook of the
Council on Foreign Relations noted that Trump’s policy “reflects a sound
understanding of what the United States can achieve in the region and,
importantly, what it cannot.”
Noting that Western efforts to promote
democracy that led to the Arab Spring produced more fractured societies but no
real change agents, Cook adds “The Trump administration seems to understand
this and has pragmatically shifted American policy to achievable goals like
rolling back the Islamic State and challenging Iran’s efforts to extend its
influence around the region.”
Those who believe Trump, a businessman and
political amateur is not a serious president with real policy goals may dismiss
his Mideast stance.
But it suggests a practical view of the fight
against ISIS recognizing that, other than democratic Israel, there are no other
perfect allies in the Middle East.
The 9-11 hijackers were Saudi and the country
has a troubling history of terror support. However, Iran is worse in that their
leaders continue to make threatening statements against Israel and the US while
almost surely planning to resume their nuclear arms quest as soon as they can
get away with it. While he’s keeping the John Kerry-brokered nuclear deal in
place for now, President Trump is avowedly pessimistic about it.
The Saudis on the other hand have growing,
low-key ties with Israel based on strategic interests and common enemies.
Given the disastrous Middle East policy of
Barack Obama, which entailed alienating Israel while cozying up to and placing
misguided trust in Iran, and chasing pipe dreams about the spread of democracy
if we just talk nicely to people and avoid saying “Islamic terror,”
Trumpification seems to me to be potentially one of the best processes to come
along in years.
Originally Published: IsraelNationalNews.com
