Trump gets down to business in the Arab world
This is the way I see it, too:
President Trump is first and foremost a businessman, and he sees things through that lens. He went to the Middle East to do business, to talk business, to make deals, and the leaders of the Arab nations he has visited, including most notably Saudi Arabia, seem to be reacting very positively to his approach.
That’s basically it. Whether these deals will end up being good, or will matter in any but the economic sense, remains to be seen. After all, “experts” thought that doing business with China would make China less of a threat, and so far it hasn’t quite worked out that way. It’s just a different kind of threat than it used to be.
On the other hand, I’ve read a ton of articles indicating these deals mean that Trump is pulling away from his support of Israel. I don’t see it that way. I’ve seen no real indication of it, and people such as Rubio and Huckabee certainly deny it. And, for example, Trump delivered this message to Iran while on his trip:
Speaking at a business roundtable in the Qatari capital Doha, Trump reiterated that Iran “can’t have a nuclear weapon” and suggested that negotiators are “getting very close to maybe doing a deal.” …
During his Gulf tour, Trump has repeatedly warned that Iran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, threatening to strike the country if it fails to reach a nuclear deal. But he has not explicitly ruled out Iran enriching uranium on its own soil. While uranium is used as a nuclear fuel, it can be weaponized if enriched to high levels. …
In an interview with Breitbart last week, US foreign envoy Steve Witkoff said that an enrichment program in Iran is a “red line” for the US.
Plus he repeated his proposal for Gaza:
The president repeated his proposal for America to take over the enclave while speaking at a business roundtable in Doha with top Qatari officials on Thursday.
Trump said: “If it’s necessary, I think I’d be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone. Let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe and Hamas is going to have to be dealt with.
Arabs
Iran
Israel
Three groups with common and opposing interests.
The Arabs and Israel want Iran reigned in with no nuclear weapons
Most Arab States governments detest the “Palestinians” and don’t want them
Some Arab states: Dubai, UAE and in the future Saudi Arabia want progress. Qatar and Kuwait may follow. Smart Arab countries want to work with Israel. By destroying Hezbollah, Hamas and bombing the Houthis, the smart Arab states are saying little and doing absolutely nothing but cheering quietly.
Arab nations can follow the countries trying to escape the Koran, Hadiths, Sira and the Ummah concept and ditch the dar al Harb and dar al Islam 7th century nonsense or they can remain in economic basket case mode especially the ones with no oil or natural gas.
Trump gets most of this and is trying to pry as many of the Muslim Arab countries away from past behavior and thinking. He already has done the Abraham Accords but he needs the Saudis to seal the deal.
If Trump is successful getting Israel and the rich Arab states to play nice then that leaves only Turkey that needs to ditch its 3rd rate clown of a leader, Recip Erdogan, and the Middle East will look completely different.
Obama, Clinton, Biden and the Democrats never understood any of this or tried to create permanent chaos and animosity. They have now lost Big Time and don’t even realize it.
I don’t understand a lot of what Trump is doing in foreign policy and trade, but I’m cautiously optimistic and willing to wait and see. At least we have a real man who loves his country in charge, instead of a scarecrow controlled by an anonymous cabal who don’t love their country. Plus he’s not a lawyer or career politician, but a successful businessman and entertainer.
I’m lovin’ it!
And if we are smart, we will have and use the flawed results of promoting business with China to gage and watch for unintended consequences from this reshaping of the Middle East.
When it comes to “reforming” Islam, I remain skeptical. Somewhere recently I saw a remark that there are 300,000 men signing up as soldiers for the Houthis. That was 3 to 6 times larger than I would have expected for this group. I suppose a lot of it is tribal or “national”? And I also saw a photo of a large number of Huthis yelling and shaking various rifles or other hand held guns at the sky, as though they would be a real military threat against aircraft, etc. Thus I saw a photo of potential cannon fodder.
Then again, maybe the reality expressed by Douglas Murray will eventually cause change. Murray suggests that Muslims are trying to reconcile their ideology that claims they have the best God, they are the best people, and they will and deserve to rule the world with his help. Then they look around and see that is just not happening.
@ R2L > “I saw a remark that there are 300,000 men signing up as soldiers for the Houthis.”
And Hamas lies, always, about Gazan casualties.
Connections?
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/how-hamas-manipulates-gaza-casualty-figures/
1. Previously Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear program.
Now Israel is overextended trying to clear out Gaza and stabilize Syria.
So it looks like America is warming up its connections – and bases – in other countries in preparation for a strike on Iran… or merely sending a deterrent message.
IMO Trump was correct to leave Gaza to Israel, especially after a huge PR campaign telling Europe to start defending itself…. Israel can be assured of American arms and support when the Left starts crying about “genocide”. I don’t think there is a rift at all…. Trump’s refusal to get involved has put the pressure on the Israeli Left. We cannot afford another round of reservists leaving work – this has to be it… the Deep State Lefties have to step aside, or be removed.
2. These are “let’s make a deal” relationships completely unlike the relationship with Israel.
This administration and its supporters are well aware of the larger cultural struggle, and the large amounts of cash these Arab countries have poured into radicalizing US campuses.
3. It is certainly true that some forward-thinking Gulf leaders want to evolve from a wealthy-but-unstable commodity-based economy and build a stable middle class with manufacturing and information services…. do not for a minute believe that this means anything about reforming Islam, adopting true democracy, or giving up the goal of JIhad/conquest. This is just one of the more rational Arab reactions to the West’s technological superiority and success. But it is still part of the same long-term plan for conquest and domination.
Largely tribal and by sect, the zaydis are a splinter group like the alawites that used to run syria
300,000…
Obviously referring to Ivy League (and other elite western) college students….
Otoh
https://melaniephillips.substack.com/p/the-gold-plated-peacenik-in-the-white
Or it could merely be that…Trump moves in mysterious ways….
(Well let’s hope so…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-WZ61xyUBo
If I were to guess what these three, highly educated foreign policy geniuses – Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan and Susan Rice (of Benghazi video fame) – are thinking, I would guess they are hoping Trump’s ME policies crash and burn.
God forbid that some loud mouthed real estate guy from Queen’s NY should implement policies that make these Three Stooges ME policies look pathetic. There would not be any yuk,yuk,yuk’s emanating from their anal orifices.
But don’t feel sorry for these three incompetents, because the next time there is a demonkrat as president, they will be brought back into the executive branch and will once again have the opportunity to really F things up.
Yep, imagine that Kamala “CACKLING” Harris was the president, and these Three Stooges are her advisors.
Putin, Hamas, Hezbollah , Iran , Kim Jong Un (and waiting in the wings are Kim Jong deux, trois, quartre, cinq..) would be pinching themselves to make sure they were not having a very pleasant dream.
https://x.com/HillelNeuer/status/1923415033507197323
Just another “lie back and think of Palestine” moment.
(Who knew that Pakistani International Court Justices could be so creative…?)
Another subcontinental hack pachauri of the IPCC had his shakras out as well
Maybe once upon a time he had a soul see the sudan prosecutions but power corrupts yadda yadda
Yeah, I don’t think the Arabs are our friends. But we can make deals with them.
We mustn’t forget the enmity between Arabs and Persians, Sunni and Shia Muslims, going back to the question of succession in Islam after Mohammed died.
For Arab Muslims the enemy of my enemy, Iran, is sort of a friend. I believe Trump is exploiting that rivalry.
Another reason I believe Obama’s master strategy of “Let’s make Iran the hegemon of the Middle East” was stupid and doomed.
Dear Jean a.k.a. Neo-neocon,
Your prose is as lucid as your arguments are cogent and, for me at least, almost always convincing. Some people write quickly. Some people write well. Only a few do both, and you are one of them.
For that reason I hope you will not take umbrage at my respectful disagreement with your recent claim that Trump, in the last few weeks, is not distancing himself from Israel. I bring to your attention Trump’s malicious, defamatory, and manifestly false claim that Israel is starving the people of Gaza:
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-854228?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=EXCLUSIVE%20%7C%20Syria%20open%20to%20Golan%20Heights%20deal%2C%20congressman%20says%20%2A%20Trump%3A%20US%20will%20address%20%20people%20starving%20%20in%20Gaza%2C%20Iran%20wants%20to%20trade%20with%20US&utm_campaign=May%2016%2C%202025
This is a species of slander I thought only the left could stoop to!
For that reason I fear that, in his haste to conclude JCPOA Number 2, Trump will sell Israel down the river. Indeed, if Israel succumbs to pressure from Trump, is unable to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, and is itself destroyed in a nuclear holocaust, Trump — along with Obama, Kerry, Biden, and whole cadres of Democrats viscerally hostile to Israel — will bear a measure of moral responsibility.
I pray that that doesn’t happen. But if Trump continues to swallow and repeat nonsense about “starving” Gazans — which is what I have come to expect from anti-semites on both the left and the right — it very well could.
It’s a head scratcher, alright.
BUT he doesn’t state, as far as I can see, that Israel is responsible for starving Gazans (assuming there ARE starving Gazans).
Aside from Israel’s strong denials, there were several attempted “corrections” from various sources—including EVEN the UN, FINALLY, and Hamas itself—that there was no starvation in Gaza along with the—true—reports that Israel was continuing to provide food to Gaza, along with other international agencies; but that Hamas was hijacking much of those foodstuffs for it own use.
(But then how much of those “corrections” were actually—and sufficiently—publicized by the Corrupt Global Media…given that the truth in this case is NOT a priority for that Media.)
What might be interesting is the response—i.e., rejection—of the Arabs to Trump’s plan: IOW better that the Gazans continue to “starve” than adopt the plan.
Really now! Can that possibly be what they want?
So…maybe, um, Gazans AREN’T starving?
(Or maybe…it doesn’t matter if they are….)
Still, you have a point: if there is a claim that Gazans are “starving” the knee-jerk reaction would likely be to blame the Zionists.
@ Jay Bergman > “I bring to your attention Trump’s malicious, defamatory, and manifestly false claim that Israel is starving the people of Gaza:”
Your reading comprehension belies your concern, as Barry noted.
It is a false claim, of course, but the post you linked did NOT say that Trump blamed Israel.
What Trump said was “we’re monitoring what’s happening in Gaza and we’re going to address it – people are starving there,” which may be true; some people say so, and none of us know where Trump gets his information.
What it DID say was this: “IDF officials have “privately concluded that Palestinians in Gaza face widespread starvation unless aid deliveries are restored within weeks,” the New York Times reported on Tuesday.”
Remember this is a report from the NYT, which has never shied away from lying about pretty much anything, but especially Israel and Gaza.
The Gazans were also allegedly starving when Hamas intercepted the earlier aid shipments facilitated by Israel, although some people questioned that (the starvation, not the interceptions) as well.
All Hamas needs to do to save the Gazans from starvation (real or apparent) is surrender. Or, alternatively, Israel can destroy Hamas, and the world can resume unintercepted aid.