The GOP and the Middle East

Democrats and Republicans have differing dispositions on foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel and the Middle East.

During last week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, many Republicans sought to draw a clear contrasting picture to the policies adopted by the Biden administration. They succeeded and made the stark differences absolutely vibrant, highlighting the party’s strategy and plans regarding the Middle East in general and Israel in particular.

In many speeches and panels during the convention, it was clear that Republicans are highly engaged with topics related to peace and stability in the Middle East, especially against the backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. They spoke of Israel’s right to defend itself, warned against the Iranian regime, and celebrated the successful work of former President Donald Trump’s first term when he brokered peace deals between Israel and many Arab nations in the remarkable Abraham Accords (bilateral agreements on normalization).

Undoubtedly, the Democratic Party also traditionally has supported Israel and its right to defend itself, but under the floundering Biden administration, many left-leaning activists and liberal politicians have seized opportunities and have sought to change course. We clearly have witnessed Democrats willing to support pervasive anti-Semitism on college campuses, negotiate on behalf of Hamas terrorists, place huge political pressure on Israel, and entertain deals with the tyrannical Islamic Republic of Iran. This reflects a very different picture from policies adopted by past Democratic administrations.

At the RNC, the contrast couldn’t have been clearer, as evidenced in the party platform, which read, “We will stand with Israel, and seek peace in the Middle East. We will rebuild our Alliance Network in the Region to ensure a future of Peace, Stability, and Prosperity.”

This summarizes the core vision of the Republican Party’s Middle East foreign policy. It presents an attractive model of U.S. global leadership and demonstrates what a second Trump term may bring to that troubled region.

On this vision, there are two important points to make.

First, this GOP vision aims for peace in the Middle East, but this is clearly peace through strength. It reflects what former President Trump often relayed as seeking peace through showing power and displaying assertiveness, not by yielding to terrorists, kidnappers, and dictators. This vision, to be absolutely clear, doesn’t support beginning new wars and continuing old ones without reason—not at all. This vision clearly seeks to support and establish peace and prosperity for many in the Middle East through a very strong United States—a leading nation that is significantly powerful politically and influential economically that its adversaries respect and accept its leadership role. Through a strong United States with economic incentives and political vigor, excellent deals can be made with cooperative Middle Eastern nations to maintain peace and establish prosperity.

Arguably, this vision echoes remarkably the disposition of the Reagan administration in the last century, when peace through strength was sought and free and fair trade agreements were adopted and enforced. Similarly, we witnessed the same under Trump in 2020. During the final months of his first term as president, our world witnessed what was once believed to be impossible, including the brokering of a series of treaties to normalize relations between Israel and several Muslim nations. This was a remarkable peace through strength set of deals. With the current vision of the Republican Party under Trump’s leadership, it’s highly probable that more Muslim nations—think of Saudi Arabia—would follow suit and a more peaceful region would become a reality. If we should understand one thing about the Middle East, it’s how its leaders value strength.

Second, the GOP vision not only recognizes the necessity of alliances with Muslim nations in the Middle East to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity, but it also identifies bad actors in the region that should be highly controlled and regulated.

Iran is an important case in point.

Under President Joe Biden—and Barack Obama before him—the tyrannical regime of Tehran gained significant momentum. Last year, Biden set a terribly bad precedent when he approved a deal that swapped American and Iranian prisoners and additionally granted Tehran access to about $6 billion of funds. Unlike this weak and dangerous agreement, we witnessed President Trump crippling Iran with economic sanctions and targeting and eliminating one of its major terrorists—Gen. Qasem Soleimani—in an American drone strike near Baghdad in 2020. Trump, at the convention, revealed that his disposition in this regard hasn’t changed, as he threatened those holding U.S. hostages that they would pay “a very big price” if the Americans aren’t freed.

The statements on the Middle East from the Republican National Convention last week should send light and hope to everyone desiring a more stable and prosperous region. We should all pray for conservative leadership in the White House that can clearly broker peace through strength and openly identify its true friends and true adversaries.