During his election campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly promised to end the conflicts in the Middle East, but his announced nominations for some of the most - senior positions in the US administration are causing serious concern, says an editorial c. “Al Ahram”. According to the publication, if the positions and past actions of these figures become official US policy, the region will be pushed into even more violence and instability.
None of the nominees so far in the Trump administration, which will take office on January 20, 2025, has adhered to the consistent commitments of successive administrations regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict, least of all since the signing of the historic peace treaties with key Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, notes “Al Ahram”.
All these agreements are based on the simple equation of “land vs. peace” and the recognition by the US that Israel must withdraw from the occupied after the 1967 war. territories and to destroy the illegal settlements it has built in those lands. After the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993. there was a clear understanding that this process would gradually lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and this became official US policy.
Trump's picks, whether for secretary of state, secretary of defense, or ambassadors to the UN and Israel, not to mention his special envoy for the Middle East, are not only known for their strong support for Israel, but advocate views close to the most extreme Zionist factions in Israel, commented the Egyptian edition. They reject the existence of “Palestinian rights” and label their critics as either anti-Semitic or supporters of terrorism.
“Not surprisingly, key members of the current Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, considered one of the most extremist in Israel's history, have warmly welcomed candidates for top positions in the next Donald Trump administration, describing them as a “dream team.”
“Al Ahram” focuses on the choice of ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, who said some time ago that there is no such thing as a Palestinian, and Palestinian identity is a “political tool” to take land from Israel. Another example is Trump's nominee for UN ambassador, Elise Stefanik, who called for extreme measures against American universities and students who participated in protests against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. According to her, as well as according to Senator Marco Rubio, who has been nominated as the next Secretary of State, the loss of Palestinian lives is entirely the fault of “Hamas”.
Against this background, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered preparations to be made for the construction of illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He said that Trump's victory in the presidential election “brings an important opportunity for the State of Israel”, complete with ending once and for all any prospect of an independent Palestinian state.
If the next US President-elect, Donald Trump, is sincere in his desire to stop wars in the region, he should first recognize that the Middle East is not the same Middle East as it was in 2017, when he first entered the White House time, point out the editors of “Al Ahram”. “There is certainly no room for the reckless unilateral decisions supported by the current extremist Israeli government and unfortunately by most of those nominated for key posts. The annexation of the West Bank is a recipe for more violence and endless wars in the region”, the commentary concludes.