There are many rumors, largely-unnamed “sources” appearing in the press, of what U.S. President Donald Trump may or may not announce during his May 13-16 visit to the Gulf nations of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the U.A.E. In a May 9 article, however, Haaretz editorial board member and Middle Eastern affairs analyst Zvi Bar’el warned Israeli current leaders they would be smart to take into account what the Trump administration has already done. As the daily summarizes Bar’el’s argument: “Trump’s moves with the Houthis, Iran, Syria, and Türkiye reveal the contours of his new geopolitical map—and reduce Israel into a bystander. The Gaza Strip could be next.”
Bar’el argues that Israel should not have been shocked that the Trump administration reached a ceasefire with the Houthis “behind Israel’s back.” He cites other signs that similar such decisions are underway (with Syria and Türkiye) to assert that there are two principles guiding Trump administration policy towards the region:
“One fundamental principle of the [U.S.] President’s policy is that Trump does not intend to fight other people’s wars—whether it’s Saudi Arabia’s, a U.S. ally for over seven decades; nor Ukraine’s, fighting for its life against the United States’ historical rival; and apparently not Israel’s, either.
