The new Donald Trump presidency should heal the Middle East

For now, the Saudi monarchy can declare victory after a summit meeting it hosts for nearly 60 countries on November 11. The conference was designed to develop an action plan for the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution proposed by Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh achieved a double victory. Arab and Muslim world leaders gathered in the Saudi capital approved the Saudi initiative and unanimously supported the Saudi initiative’s quest to launch a worldwide diplomatic campaign to achieve a just and lasting peace in the world. Middle East.

Moreover, the Saudi monarchy sent a message, especially to the incoming Trump administration, about what needs to be done to solve the Middle East crisis and end the wars in the region. Gaza And Lebanon.

The Saudi leadership has been active lately, reinforcing its long-standing role as one of the most powerful and influential countries in the region. The kingdom gained further power after resuming diplomatic relations with Iran, and as a result, any possible Iranian threats or fears diminished.

Countries participating in the Saudi-hosted summit also reaffirmed their commitment to the March 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. On June 4, 1967, they called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian State alongside Israel, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Leaders pose for a photo at the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, November 11, 2024. (Source: Turkish Presidency/Murat Kula/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Some argue that the two-state solution no longer exists. Others even claim that he is dead, given the policy of the Israeli government under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following this idea would harm the entire region; It tells all countries, whether they share a border with Israel or not, that military arrogance and the use of violence is the inevitable fate of this region, no matter which side initiates it.

It is the common duty of Palestinians and Israelis to erase such destructive thoughts from their minds and agendas. Instead of killing each other, they should look for ways to live together.

There were hopes that President-elect Donald Trump would be a different person, an improved version of Trump 2016. Some of his campaign statements were hopeful and suggested an improved Trump. The statements attributed to him created the impression that he had changed. During the election campaign, he reportedly told close aides that Israel was a rich country and should pay back the billions it received during the war in Gaza.

His promise to US Arab and Muslim voters who left the Democratic Party during his presidential campaign to vote for him quickly evaporated. He promised to make every effort to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict to their liking, that is, to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. It injected them with a significant dose of optimism.

But a few days later, he disappointed all hopeful Arab and Muslim voters by appointing far-right evangelical politicians to take on cabinet secretariat posts. Their election supports Netanyahu and his government, whose survival depends on the continuation of wars and the rejection of any ceasefire in Gaza or Lebanon. Maintaining the status quo could ensure victory for the current Israeli prime minister in the upcoming elections.

Stay up to date with the latest news!

Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter

The Israel-Hamas war, now in its 13th month, has provided a platform for all extremist voices to express themselves, ignoring the ongoing victimization and suffering in Palestinian and Israeli societies. But this sudden rise in extremism does not mean that all of us living on either side of the 1967 divide have to spend the rest of our lives hostage in the hands of advocates of the zero-sum solution of everything or nothing.

Palestinians and Israelis are not poker cards. Our lives are sacred and must be protected. Moreover, we are tired of centuries of conflict and deserve a moment of peace that will extend to future generations.

Therefore, the best way to prevent the endless suffering of conflict in our Middle East is a two-state solution. The Arab Peace Initiative and the UN resolutions on the Palestine issue are and will always remain the only path to regional peace and stability.

Let’s say Trump had the luxury of missing his first opportunity to achieve peace in his previous term. So our region cannot afford to miss another chance during Trump’s second watch. One of Trump’s previous main mistakes was his belief that making peace, for example between the UAE and Israel and creating the so-called Abraham Accords, would bring peace to the region when neither Israel nor the UAE were at war and had never opened fire. One bullet at each other.

How can peace be achieved?

Peace is made between enemies at war with each other, not between enemies or rivals who have never engaged in direct confrontation.

Let’s say President-elect Trump wants to expand the normalization process he started between Israel and some distant Arab countries. So we must look the other way and start with the Palestinians and the countries that recently held a summit in Saudi Arabia. These are potential partners that Trump can count on to expand the list of Arab and Muslim countries willing to normalize ties with Israel.

The only way to include these actors in such an effort is to include the Arab Peace Initiative and its parameters in a new memorandum of understanding that the US administration will distribute. By doing this, Trump will win their support by doing what he promised: ending the Middle East conflict. Only then will Trump go down in history as the leader who not only defended the final agreement but also made it a reality; The reality of peace and coexistence between two states, Israel and Palestine, on the lines of June 4, 1967.

For all the hopes and expectations people have from the United States, many disappointments have been overshadowed on both sides by the inability of the United States to do anything concrete to stop the war in Gaza. President-elect Trump is known as an extremely unpredictable person and full of surprises. Let’s hope this time the surprises he has in mind will end this conflict. That’s enough.

How can peace be achieved?

Related Posts