Many opinion articles recently talked about the fact that President Trump may be considered an enemy of Arabs and Muslims and will carry out a war against them. This theory can cause more complexity and crises in the Arab and Islamic reality, because the media is dealing with these hypotheses as axioms and constants, and goes on to discuss them, but also looks for ways to deal with them even though it is just an opinion that can be right or wrong.
This idea that the new American president is targeting our states and peoples is not accurate at all given his statements and positions. He has a different political line from each of his predecessors. This case applies to his attitude towards the Arab states and their issues and also other international issues, and even domestic issues. It is sufficient to note that the first resolution signed by President Trump regards amendments to the health program, “Obama Care”, which means that the man has new ideas that might be right or wrong, like any newcomer to the White House, but differs by his populist quality.
Clearly, the Trump approach raises the ire of many in the US and the world. It is enough that in his first speech he accused all US presidents who preceded him that they did not work for the interests of the American people. Therefore we do not have to feel as Arabs that he came to target us specifically. He raises controversy and disagreement in the US before Arabs heard about him. Countries such as China and even allies like Germany are concerned towards him even more. We have to understand that the world may change with Trump, and that there is something different.
We as Arabs should not understand that Trump is hostile to us. The man holds a different agenda to the world at large. We should read his first speech carefully and accurately. He does not address Arabs specifically, but there is a strong, open and direct focus on what he thinks ensures the interests of the American people. I see that Europe’s concerns about Trump exceed by far our concerns in the region. He speaks very lightly of the NATO, and almost lifted the American cover of protection for European partners and left them prey to Russia. This is already reflected in the responses of the Germans specifically. He believes that the issue of Ukraine is primarily a European issue, and the United States should not sacrifice its relations with Russia for it. We also expect a US cruder intervention on anti-terrorism, and this is not to bother us, but we have to call for active participation in the fight against Daesh with soldiers and materiel and money, and then we as Arabs could express more intense and aggressive stances against terrorism and its organizations. We should expect that the positions of the US toward Iran must change. But it is not necessarily the positions that we wish in the Gulf region, but can reach understandings and deals. The man believes in this logic, and the mullahs have “business” skills along diplomatic capacities.
Democratic ideas will disappear from the American political discourse in the coming years, and will be replaced by the idea of American interests. This may satisfy ones and anger others, but the overall conditions may contribute to the occurrence of disorders in several Arab countries, but we expect the US will stay away from any direct military interference in these countries, as long as Israel is far from the affected circuit of what is happening around. More importantly, as Arabs we should also expect the emergence of a new regional system. Trump is not targeting President Assad, and will be open to whatever deal with Russia about Syria, and his view of Iraq will only be based on the logic of business and oil interests just like Iran.
