Trump's Poor Policies Harm U.S. Interests in the Middle East

A conflict in the Middle East does not serve America's interests. However, achieving peace solely for the purpose of having peace with adversaries who are steadfast opponents of both the United States and Western nations would be highly detrimental.

President Donald Trump has distanced himself from Israel and is now attempting to reorient the United States toward the Muslim world. Trump wants to enhance ties with Saudi Arabia by allowing Encourage them to establish a civilian nuclear program without insisting they acknowledge the primarily Jewish-led democratic state of Israel.

Meanwhile, Trump has entered a ceasefire alongside the Iran-supported Houthi rebels in Yemen. It seems he also aims to develop an improved version of the nuclear arms deal that was established between former President Barack Obama and Iran.

Now, Trump reportedly wants To acknowledge a Palestinian state would be catastrophic.

We’re a Long Way from the Abraham Accords

During Trump's initial term, his key achievement in foreign policy was orchestrating the landmark "Abraham Accords" among Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. This move aimed at establishing a robust security structure where the U.S., stepping back into an offshore balancing role, supported longstanding regional partners like Israel and Sunni-led Gulf Arab nations to counterbalance and guard against a nuclear-capable Iran.

The crucial factor behind the success of the Abraham Accords, as highlighted by Trump’s son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, explained at the time—was that they eschewed the messy issue of having to address the unresolvable Palestinian question. Indeed, it is likely that the Abraham Accords moved from the conceptual phase to the real-world because Trump in his first term in office did not seek to get bogged down in the impossible attempt to resolve that conflict. After decades of fighting Israel over the issue of Palestinian statehood, the Arab world had started to finally move on from that and pursue relations with Israel that were in their own best interests.Predictably, the  Iranians disliked This idea led them to bolster their sarcastic backing of the Sunni Arab inhabitants in the Palestinian territories so as to divert America’s attention.

Palestine Cannot Achieve Statehood at This Time

There are so many bad ideas floating around Trump’s Middle East policies right now that it can be painful to think about. The creation of a Palestinian state would be little more than the birth of a “pre-failed state.” For one thing, the physical geography of the Palestinian Territories is incongruous. The West Bank is run by Fatah, the successors to Yasser Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). It is totally disconnected from the Gaza Strip, which is run by the Iran-backed Hamas terror group.

Of course, Hamas doesn’t care one bit about nationhood for the Palestinians. Its character is jihadist rather than nationalist; it wants only to inflict the heaviest casualties and battlefield victories upon Israel. The probability that Hamas’ leadership really wants to see a Palestinian state emerge from the ashes of the Middle East is vanishingly low. Islamist extremists view nation-states as the byproducts of heretical societies, while the Islamic nation (ummah) should be united without regard for artificial creations like borders—under their leadership, naturally.

So Hamas doesn’t really want national liberation for Palestinians living in Gaza. They want permanent war, because this is what their masters in Iran want. Hamas doesn’t care about Palestinian statehood.

And Fatah in the West Bank is little better. It is hopelessly corrupt and out-of-touch with ordinary Palestinians. This corruption has spread to every institution within the Palestinian Authority. It has done nothing to warrant greater responsibility to manage its own affairs, or international recognition of its legitimacy.

For Trump to waste his time on the fantasy of midwifing a Palestinian state illustrates the dangerous flailing that’s occurring within his administration. Spending any presidential time or effort on Palestinian peace will only sap Trump’s efforts to pursue more meaningful work—and fritter away his limited political capital in the process.

Giving Saudi Arabia Nuclear Reactors Is Dangerous

Regarding allowing Saudi Arabia to pursue nuclear energy for peaceful uses, this is an insanely bad idea Indeed, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) wields significant influence over his nation and is spearheading substantial changes through his "Vision 2030" initiative. This ambitious program seeks to transform Saudi Arabia’s economy dramatically, moving away from being solely recognized as an oil-dependent state.

However, this situation has placed MBS in a precarious position. Furthermore, he has centralized authority more than any Saudi ruler since King Abdulaziz, which serves his interests well. Yet, what happens if something were to happen to MBS—who will take over? The answer remains uncertain.

It might be worthwhile to remember that Iran’s nuclear weapons program initially started as a civilian nuclear energy initiative established under the Eisenhower-era Atoms for Peace planned and executed by the Shah. The focus was on nuclear energy along with the development of nuclear weapons. can be Backdoors for developing nuclear arms. Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s MBS has informed Western media that should Iran appear close to acquiring a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia would feel compelled to do the same.

We know that Washington desperately wants a deal with Iran over their suspected nuclear weapons program. By removing the hurdles to the Saudis from getting access to nuclear materials, Trump is opening the door for Saudi Arabia to eventually build nukes on its own. That’s all well and good—for now. But what happens if an Islamist revolution overthrows MBS and replaces him with a fanatic? We’re sure it couldn’t happen, of course. But we thought it couldn’t happen in Iran, either.

Trump Should Not Get Bogged Down in the Middle East

And, as a quick digression, Trump cannot rely on the Iranians for fair dealings or transparent actions. Although avoiding conflict should be prioritized, Trump understands that initiating a war in the Middle East at this time could undermine his plans and leave him as an utterly ineffective president.

Trump should not let himself get bogged down in all these side issues in a very complex region like the Middle East. War is not in America’s interest. But peace merely for the sake of peace, with implacable enemies of the United States and the West, is a terrible idea.

Would not a better solution simply be to finalize the Abraham Accords—by having Saudi Arabia recognize Israel—and having them contain and deter Iran while we finally sat offshore? Or are we just going to pretend Trump’s moves will magically work to bring peace to that troubled region where all others have failed?

About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert , a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon .

Image : Wikimedia Commons.