JERUSALEM – President-elect Donald Trump's victory on Wednesday morning could lead to a new US Middle East policy that will have a dramatic impact on Israel's war against Iran-backed terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, experts said. It is said to be expensive.
Fox News Digital reached out to leading U.S. and Israeli experts on the Middle East for insight into the implications of Trump's second term regarding the unfolding instability and wars in the region. For more than a year, the Iranian regime has actively supported Hamas and Hezbollah in their war against the Jewish state. Tehran also launched two drone and missile strikes against the Jewish state in 2024.
“President Trump's policy of respecting the prerogatives of the democratically elected government of Israel… “Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet will be able to pursue their strategy.” Israel does not seek direct involvement in the war by the United States as a proxy for victory over Iran and its success. and other assistance that enables the United States and Israel to achieve victory against their common enemy. ”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-President Trump attend the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords held at the White House on September 15, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Glick added: “Trump's doctrine of minimizing US involvement in the Middle East is predicated on supporting US allies, particularly Israel, in their efforts to defeat those who are also US enemies. “Trump's support will enable Israel to win.” The president will preside over a postwar period of calm and unprecedented peace that will only be possible after Israel's victory. ”
The Biden administration is facing criticism for its crackdown on Israel's war against Hamas after the jihadi movement massacred nearly 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans, on October 7, 2023. Biden reportedly at one point withheld critical military equipment while Israel was engaged in an existential war.
Glick has been harshly critical of the Biden-Harris administration, saying, “Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons and is waging a seven-front war against Israel. I've come,'' he said.
Palestinian terrorists from the al-Qassam Brigades, an armed wing of the Hamas movement, participate in a military parade to commemorate the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel in Gaza on July 19, 2023. (MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
“President Trump's victory is a huge opportunity for the Middle East to dismantle the Shiite axis,” General Amir Abibi, a retired Israeli brigadier general and founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum, told Fox News Digital. [the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon] and restore security to the Middle East by signing a peace agreement and creating a Western-Israeli-Sunni alliance that extends to Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Oman. ”
Furthermore, for peace and prosperity in the Middle East, “it is necessary to address the dangers of Iran's nuclear status.Israel hopes that the United States will lead a coalition of the willing to militarily deal with Iran's nuclear facilities and, in some cases, overthrow the regime.'' We hope that it will be overthrown and even dismantled,” he added. It is a Shiite axis that is endangering all moderate states in the Middle East. ”
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Members of the Basij militia participate in a rally to commemorate International Quds Day in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 14, 2023. (Morteza Nicobazul/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Mr. Abibi said that by destroying Hamas, Israel is setting the stage to destroy Hezbollah.
David Wormser, former senior adviser for nonproliferation and Middle East strategy to former Vice President Dick Cheney, told Fox News Digital that “President Trump's election will have a major impact on Middle East policy.Iran and its proxies.'' They will feel very threatened, but they will not give up, it is a matter of regime survival for Iran.
“The Israeli hope that some in Israel have that this time the United States will pick up the ball and join Israel in fighting this war, especially Iran itself, is a false hope,” Wormser said. “President Trump will force Israel to do what is necessary and will defend Israel without reservation or restraint in doing so, but he will not do it for Israel.”
“Another area where the United States could make a significant contribution would be in the creation of a Middle East peace architecture that extends the Abraham Accords without forcing Saudi Arabia and others to address the Palestinian issue,” he said.
Israeli Defense Force tanks drive through the Netzarim Corridor in Gaza. (IDF Spokesperson Unit)
The signature accomplishment of President Trump's first term in the Middle East was the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Middle East experts said Trump could have won a grand diplomatic recognition deal between Saudi Arabia and the Jewish state had he not lost the 2020 election to Biden.
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According to Wormser, “The next administration represents a paradigm shift, with a strong Israel and a weak, besieged and retreating Iran challenging Iran and China, and the Washington establishment's commitment to a two-Palestinian state as its leader. Policy principles that would promote regional alliances that abandon attachment. ”
Turkey's powerful Islamist President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is also likely to face resistance from President Trump. In July, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who supports the US-designated terrorist group Hamas, threatened to invade Israel to protect Palestinians. President Erdoğan also provides material support to Hamas terrorists living in Türkiye.
israeli air force aircraft (IDF)
Efrat Aviv, a professor at Israel's Bar-Ilan University Department of General History and a leading expert on Turkey, told Fox News Digital, “President Trump's pro-Israel stance shows that Turkey considers him a freedom fighter.'' This clashes with President Erdoğan's support for Hamas, and the relationship is further complicated by suspicions that Turkey has been involved in facilitating Hamas' activities, including granting passports to Hamas and aiding in money laundering.
“In contrast to Biden, who had criticized President Erdoğan’s democratic backsliding, particularly by excluding Turkey from the 2021 Democracy Summit, Turkey felt relieved by President Trump’s inauguration,” Aviv said. he added. “Under the Trump administration, US pastor Andrew Brunson was released from Turkish custody. However, despite Trump's generally friendly stance, tensions remain. has imposed sanctions on Russia five times, and other important issues include U.S. support for Kurdish groups and Turkey's purchases.'' Relations with Russia's S-400 missile defense system remain divided. ”
“It remains to be seen whether this is the beginning of a new chapter or whether tensions will continue to overshadow their personal friendship,” Aviv said.
Some skeptics see President Trump turning the possibility of an early end to the war into a policy of coercion on Israel to eradicate Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah terrorists and facilities on the northern border. .
From left: Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Trump, and Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates. Participated in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on September 15, 2020. . (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Joel Rubin, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration, told Fox News Digital: “How Trump 2.0 will function in the Middle East is an open question. Unlike Trump 1.0, he will be more isolated. I'm a believer,” he said. Vice President J.D. Vance, who also told Prime Minister Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza. He has expressed interest in a deal over Iran's nuclear program, but has a history of aggressive actions against Iran. It and his communications have been targeted by the administration during the election campaign, which could fuel mistrust and suspicion. ”
“But his fundamental desire to focus on domestic issues is likely to drive his policies early on, while striving to avoid international entanglements,” Rubin said. added. “My prediction is that if the Middle East problem becomes a headache for the president, especially through escalation of war, he will be more focused on eliminating it without having a very ambitious plan to resolve the long-standing issue between Israel and Palestine. I will try.”
