Middle East Peace May Be Beyond Trump The Dealmaker's Reach
Date
11/15/2024 5:05:59 AM
(MENAFN- Asia Times)
Donald Trump's re-election as the US president last week comes at a time of extreme volatility in the Middle East.
The president-elect has promised to end all wars. In his usual impulsive and unpredictable manner, he has pledged to resolve the Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office and help Israel finish its Gaza and Lebanon operations quickly.
Yet the Middle East is a complex place. trump will have much difficulty balancing his ardent support of Israel and his other ambitions in the region, especially given the changing dynamics between Iran and its rival, Saudi Arabia.
Here's what Trump can expect when he takes office in a few months. Overshadowed by the US election was Qatar's announcement that it has paused its role as a ceasefire mediator between Israel and Hamas.
The tiny, oil-rich emirate has worked hard over the past year to try to reach a deal to end the war. In the process, it made good use of its close relations with the United States, which has its largest Middle East military base in Qatar, and with Hamas, whose political leadership and office have been based in Doha. This, Qatar believed, would help it gain the confidence of the warring parties.
However, its efforts did not produce anything more than a brief ceasefire last year, which resulted in the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
There are several reasons for this. For one, the two sides cannot get past a couple of main sticking points. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resolved to eliminate Hamas completely, ruling out a temporary truce . Hamas is demanding a complete end to the fighting and total Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
Meanwhile, Washington has failed to play a meaningful role in the talks. While repeatedly emphasizing its desire for a ceasefire, the Biden administration did not at any point put tangible pressure on Israel beyond diplomatic rhetoric.
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