The Faustian Bargain: The Hidden Agendas Driving Trump’s Middle East Strategy
By: H. Zaïm-Bashi
The recent turmoil engulfing the Middle East—sparked by Operation Al-Aqsa Storm and Israel’s barbaric aggression against Palestinian civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip—has plunged the region into an abyss of unprecedented chaos. This escalating crisis has been further exacerbated by bolstered military support for Palestinian resistance, Yemen’s intervention, and the near-total blockade of the Red Sea against Israeli and American vessels. Amidst this fraught landscape, the United States, under Trump’s reckless policies, faces a grave challenge requiring immediate and profound intervention.
Trump’s administration, driven by a myopic and shortsighted worldview, has abandoned any semblance of commitment to regional stability. Instead, it has embraced a flagrant pursuit of Israeli interests, evident from Trump's contemptuous dismissal of the Middle East as a viable investment opportunity. His unwavering allegiance to Israel, propelled by a problematic adherence to Zionist Christianity, exemplifies the worst kind of geopolitical opportunism.
Trump’s political cadre—comprising prominent Jewish figures such as David Friedman, Jared Kushner, and Jason Greenblatt—reveals the deeply problematic entanglement of U.S. policy with Israeli interests. The so-called “Deal of the Century” starkly illustrates this collusion, revealing three core motivations behind America’s persistent interference in the Middle East:
1. Bolstering Israel’s Security and Containing the Resistance Axis
2. Maintaining Global Oil Price Stability
3. Countering China’s Expanding Influence in the Region
Trump’s approach to diplomacy is disturbingly transactional, reducing the multifaceted conflicts of the Middle East to mere bargaining chips for personal and political gain. This cynical calculus not only contrasts with genuine peace-building efforts but perpetuates a relentless cycle of exploitation and instability.
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The question of Trump’s intentions, should he secure another term, remains shrouded in ambiguity. Nonetheless, his historical actions reveal a consistent pattern of reinforcing the Israeli regime and advancing agreements that normalize relations between Israel and Arab states. His vigorous promotion of the Abrahamic Accords underscores his strategic objective: integrating Israel into the regional framework while enabling the United States to extricate itself from the region’s quagmire.
Should Trump return to the White House, expect a continuation of this duplicitous strategy, further intensified by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. His administration is likely to exploit this crisis to entrench Israel’s position in the region, normalizing its relationships with Arab nations and reinstating a policy of maximum isolation against Iran.
Trump’s vision for the Middle East involves reviving the Abrahamic Accords and negotiating new agreements with Arab nations, particularly Saudi Arabia, to integrate Israel into the regional order. This plan envisions transforming Gaza and the West Bank into economic hubs under a quasi-Palestinian state, stripped of military capabilities and reliant on Israeli security. Such a scheme not only perpetuates Israeli dominance but also obscures the fundamental issues at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Ultimately, Trump’s grandiose promises of “peace for prosperity” and “progress” are nothing more than a superficial veneer concealing entrenched strategic manipulations. His policies aim to reshape the region through economic incentives and political subterfuge, reinforcing Israeli dominance while offering Palestinians hollow promises of development. This approach starkly exposes the hypocrisy and strategic self-interest underpinning U.S. and Israeli agendas in the Middle East, leaving the already volatile region ensnared in a perpetual cycle of conflict and exploitation.
