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THE PEOPLE AND THE LAND ISRAEL INSIGHT

David M. Weinberg

Trump’s Mideast Innovations

Should Stick

any of the outgoing Trump This might nudge Palestinians, inshal- Because Trump defiantly dumped
administration’s novel lah, towards the replacement of their Obama’s signature foreign policy
MMideast policies should be rejectionist leaders with men and “achievement,” incoming President
adopted by the next administration, women who seek peace and prosper- Biden (who was Obama’s vice-presi-
even if Democratic leaders shrink from ity for their people in partnership with dent) surely will seek to entice Iran into
crediting Trump for any breakthroughs. Israel. Younger Palestinians must know a renewed accord, and he will do so by
that the Palestinian national movement lifting some sanctions against Tehran.
There are three axes of Mideast policy will be marginalized in the Arab world This is probably the wrong way to go,
that must not be abandoned.
and in Western capitals unless they instead of increasing sanctions against
The first is the unleashing of a reward- come to the table with new leadership Iran. Nevertheless, a new US adminis-
ing regional dynamic whereby Arab willing to compromise. tration surely will understand that Iran
states are moving to open partnership must be forced to relent on several key
with Israel on a wide range of issues. For American diplomats to start once issues.
Already this has led to three peace again scurrying about the region with-
agreements (between Israel and the out pressing such inevitable truths on These are 1. A complete end to Iran’s
UAE, Bahrain and Sudan). Additional the Palestinians would be worse than nuclear military program, including all
Arab countries should be encouraged mischievous; it would be disastrous. To uranium enrichment and plutonium
to follow suit. be overly solicitous of the Palestinians, a production, with no sunset. 2. A truly
long-time mistake of professional peace intrusive international inspections
Sustaining this momentum requires processors, would be unhelpful in the regime. 3. An end to Iran’s ballistic
active American diplomacy in support extreme. missile development program. 4. A
of Arab-Israel rapprochement, with retreat from the forward bases in Syria
signals coming from the highest levels Continuing to dial-down Palestinian that Iran is building to challenge Israel.
in Washington and concrete offers expectations would be much more 5. Full cessation of Iranian financing
of US aid on the table (yes, including constructive. No administration should of Hamas and Hezbollah military
weapons). revert to stale and unworkable formu- capabilities.
las based on maximalist Palestinian
It also requires continuing stiff Amer- demands and minimalist regard for Short of this, a new deal with Iran will
ican resolve in opposing Iran’s hege- Israeli security needs and national-his- be perilous and unsustainable.
monic designs in the region and resist- toric claims. I am referring, of course,
ing the temptation to over-prioritize the to discredited formulas involving One also would hope that any admin-
Palestinian issue – as detailed below. the uprooting of settlements, Israeli istration will continue to back the “war

The second axis of intelligent Mideast withdrawals from most of Judea and between the wars” – Israel’s covert
strikes on Iranian sites in Syria and on
policy over the past four years has been Samaria, and a division of Jerusalem. nuclear installations in Iran.
treating Palestinians as responsible The third and perhaps most import-
adults. ant plank of US policy is the attempt The principles described here are in
This means expecting the Palestinian to truly halt Iran’s advance towards America’s best interests as well as Isra-
el’s, and therefore they ought to survive
governments in Judea, Samaria and nuclear weapons and its aggressive a presidential transition.
Gaza to end their payments to terror- troublemaking across the region. There
ists, disarm terrorist militias, ending should be no more American charity
attempts to brand Israel a war criminal for Iranian lies, including Iran’s vague
in international courts, end the teach- commitments under the JCPOA agree-
ing of genocidal anti-Semitism in their ment negotiated by President Obama
schools and media, and respect human and the P5+1; an agreement that took David M. Weinberg is vice president of
rights, religious freedoms, and a free at face value Iranian denials of there the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and
press. These are all-American princi- being any nuclear weapons program to Security, jiss.org.il. His personal site is
ples; they must not be soft-pedaled. worry about. davidmweinberg.com.

Though war needs physical courage, peace needs moral courage,
50 | the courage to break with the past and turn enemies into friends.
RABBI SACKS