The Middle East is a region full of political and security problems. There is the issue of widespread terrorism. There is still the Palestinian question, which is fuelling more crises, especially since the decision of President Trump’s administration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Iran’s expansion and interference in regional affairs continues in Syria, where it deploys troops, and in Yemen, where it supplies arms, equipment and missiles to Houthi militias and encourages them to reject international efforts to find a political solution to the Yemeni crisis.
With yet another crisis, the countries of the region that are trying to resolve existing crises are finding themselves with a heavy geopolitical burden.
US President Donald Trump is well aware of the details of the strategic landscape in the Middle East. But he seems only interested in his alliance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump continues to offer political gifts to the Israelis at the expense of the legitimate rights of Arabs in the occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories.
After months of his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transfer the U.S. embassy there, President Trump surprised the world. He sai that the time had come to support Israeli “sovereignty” on the Syrian Golan Heights.
Its position is in contradiction with all resolutions of international legitimacy that recognize the Golan as Syrian territory occupied since 1967. In addition, the occupying force’s decision to announce Trump’s decision at that time is intended to increase Netanyahu’s chances of winning the Israeli elections scheduled for April 9.
Trump said that the time has come for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. According to the US president, the Golan is of vital strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and regional stability.
It is therefore clear that Trump has had the prior intention to adopt this position since Netanyahu asked him to do so at their first meeting at the White House in February 2017. But he finally made his decision to appease the pro-Israeli lobby in the United States. Netanyahu will visit the United States next week, where he will give a celebratory speech.
Trump’s decision is an important factor in the Israeli electoral race. Despite the accusations of corruption surrounding him, Netanyahu regained confidence in victory after Trump’s statement.
He also said that Trump was making “history.” “At a time when Iran seeks to use Syria as a platform to destroy Israel, President Trump boldly recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Thank you President Trump,” he tweeted.
Trump’s decision is not only a gift for Netanyahu, but also for Iran. After Daech’s defeat, attention was drawn to Iran’s presence in Syria, but Iran will now used Trump’s decision in its advantage to justify its presence in Syria.
It is strange that the Trump administration made the decision while efforts are focused on building an Arab-American alliance to counter the influence and expansion of Iran and the Middle East.
The Arab and international reactions to the Golan declaration were all condemnations and denunciations. The international community insisted that the Golan is Syrian territory and asked Trump to renounce his decision.
The American president insinuated that he took a long time to think about his decision. So he is not going to back down.
In a press release, a senior official said that Trump had discussed the idea with U.S. Secretary Mike Pompey and his security advisor John Bolton, his advisor Jared Kouchner, his special envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt, and David Friedman, his ambassador to Israel, and that he was all “supportive.”
In the midst of the international opposition, the spokesman for the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, refrained from commenting on Trump’s decision.
Trump probably offered Netanyahu a political gift but also to the Iranians. He has also made it virtually impossible for the United States to move forward in the Middle East peace process, whether under the so-called deal of the century or otherwise. Trump has embarrassed— US Arab allies and weakened their ability to respond to any American role in this process in the foreseeable future.
Trump not only helped Netanyahu, but also sought to help himself.
He wanted to strengthen his internal political position by gaining more support from evangelical community, as well as from AIPAC, the largest pro-Israel lobby in the United States.
The new crisis in the Middle East is a gift to Israel and Iran, to the detriment of legitimate Arab rights.
It seems that over two decades of miscalculated unilateral moves, the United States has only been giving Iran free gifts that only strengthened its regional influence.
