A Region Responds to Trump’s Disruptions
The upheaval of Donald Trump’s presidency is rippling across the Middle East, forcing governments and societies alike to rethink their assumptions about America’s role and prompting a range of reactions.
Dear Reader:
The upheaval of Donald Trump’s presidency is rippling across the Middle East, forcing governments and societies alike to rethink their assumptions about America’s role and prompting a range of reactions. While some American commentators have argued that Washington has a strategic opportunity to remake the regional order—and that Trump’s unpredictability could in fact serve as leverage—local actors will have more of a say in this than is commonly recognized. Illustrating this, Trump’s illegal proposal to move the Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip to Jordan and Egypt was met with vehement opposition by the regimes in Amman and Cairo, who, along with those in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, have countered with plans of their own for reconstructing the devastated enclave and setting the path toward Palestinian statehood.
A new compendium of essays edited by my colleagues Zaha Hassan and Katherine Wilkens presents actionable recommendations for implementing that reconstruction in a way that centers the human security of Gaza’s two million Palestinian survivors by addressing their urgent housing, food, medical, and education needs. Relatedly, Maha Yahya argues in Foreign Affairs that while the provision of such assistance to Gaza and other war-torn regions has been severely degraded by Trump’s closure of USAID, humanitarian aid by itself is insufficient: what Gaza needs instead to prevent a reoccurrence of conflict are just political settlements that deliver inclusive governance and bridge societal fissures.
In Syria, too, those imperatives are more crucial than ever, as a new and untested leadership embarks on the daunting task of rebuilding the country after the destructive rule of Bashar Assad. In the face of doubts about American commitments engendered by Trump, leading Arab states like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aren’t sitting on the sidelines in Syria, as explained by Natalie Triche and Amr Hamzawy, but are rather stepping up their engagement, including with Islamist figures they previously shunned. Building on this, I detail the lessons Syria’s leaders can learn from another Arab revolution—the 2011 toppling of dictator Muammar Qadhafi in Libya—and specifically why they should avoid repeating two fateful mistakes of that transition.
As the momentous developments in Washington reverberate across the Middle East, and as the region itself mobilizes in ways that are often overlooked, I invite you to follow our program’s work, grounded, as always, in rigorous research and local nuances.
Sincerely,
Frederic Wehrey
Senior Fellow
Middle East Program
Trump's Gaza Proposal
Trump’s Gaza Comments Aren’t Receiving a Warm Welcome in the Middle East
Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are on the forefront of the opposition.
By Amr Hamzawy, Andrew Leber, and Marwan Muasher
The Future of Gaza
Rebuilding Gaza: The Human Dimension
As the devastating Gaza war moves cautiously toward a permanent ceasefire, this collection of short essays examine what steps must be taken to address the humanitarian catastrophe and begin to meet the urgent needs of the enclave’s nearly 2 million survivors. The authors detail how access to basic goods, medical care, support for children, and exit permits for health and educational needs can begin to lay the groundwork for longer-term recovery and rebuilding.
Edited by Zaha Hassan and Katherine Wilkens
Trump's Gaza Remarks
Donald Trump’s latest remarks aim to erase the Palestinians and ignore international law.
By Nur Arafeh
Regional Politics
The Gulf Shifts Policies in Response to the “New” Syria
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have long opposed regime change. But they’re switching course with Syria, where they’re embracing new dynamics and power realities.
By Amr Hamzawy and Natalie Triche
Diplomacy in Syria
For the EU, the new leaders in Damascus’ stated aims provide a basis for cooperation.
By Marc Pierini
The Future of Syria
What Syrians Can Learn From Libya’s Revolution
Two fateful missteps after the fall of dictator Muammar Qadhafi offer important lessons on the impact of early policy choices.
By Frederic Wehrey and Mieczysław P. Boduszyński
Lebanese Politics
Hezbollah and National Renewal
Lebanon’s dysfunctional system must be replaced, and reintegrating the Shia is a necessary step on this path.
By Michael Young
In the Media
- Marwan Muasher on regional reactions to Trump's Gaza remarks Watch the interview
- Marwan Muasher on Trump's meeting with Jordan's king Read the article
- Marwan Muasher on the impacts of Trump's Gaza plan for Jordan Watch the interview
- Amr Hamzawy on President Trump's suggestion to "clean out" Gaza Listen to the podcast
- Maha Yahya on the challenges for governments in the Middle East Read the article
- Amr Hamzawy on the dangers of President Trump's proposed Gaza plan Read the article
- Zaha Hassan on the state of Palestinian activism both in and outside of the occupied territories Read the interview
- Amr Hamzawy on Egypt's plan for Gaza Read the article
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.