The Tragedy of US Middle East Policy
President Trump’s Middle East policy is a tragedy. Here’s why.
Palestinian People
The Trump administration cut funds for Palestinian refugees and to groups working to bring Palestinians and Israelis together. The Palestine Liberation Office was ordered to shut down. The U.S. Embassy in Israel was moved to Jerusalem outside of an international agreement that it was to remain in Tel Aviv until a peace agreement was reached between Israel and Palestine. There is a deafening silence concerning the killing of more than 100 nonviolent demonstrators in Gaza by the Israel Defense Force.
The administration has aligned itself with Israel. There can be no peace and justice without listening and including the Palestinian people. Their humanity must be respected.
Yemen
Approved by President Obama and continued by Trump, the U.S. provides critical military support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a deadly war in Yemen.
As Mark Weisbrot wrote in the New York Review of Books,
More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict, mainly by airstrikes launched by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with the backing of the U.S., since these attacks began in 2015. The destruction also wrought on water supplies and sewage systems has resulted in the deaths of thousands in one of the world’s worst cholera epidemics in modern history. Besides destroying infrastructure, the Saudis have imposed a blockade that has cut access to food, clean drinking water, medicine and other necessities for treatment.
Congress has not authorized this war. This humanitarian crisis would end if the U.S. would stop providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia.
Legislation (H.Con.Res. 138 in the House and S.J. Res 54) has been introduced in Congress which seeks to end unauthorized US-Saudi military cooperation in Yemen.
Iran Deal
Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran Deal. The deal was successfully negotiated and implemented by the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. It would prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran working with the other negotiating countries continues to implement the deal without the U.S.
On Sept. 26, eight US Senators introduced S. 3517, legislation to prohibit the U.S. from expending funds which could lead to war with Iran without approval from Congress.
Endless Wars
The U.S. remains involved in endless wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
Unfortunately, the administration and other world leaders remain silent by the killing of Arabs by their governments and Israel. The recent murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist, in the Saudi Arabia Consulate in Turkey, requires action by Trump.
