The US presidential elections were also closely followed in the Middle East. After four years of President Trump’s America first policy, Biden will soon be in charge. He will seek dialogue more often and want to cooperate. How is his victory reacted in the Middle East and what can we expect?
Human Rights
President Trump is a staunch ally of Saudi Arabia, a country often discredited when it comes to human rights violations. Many women activists and critics of the royal family are in prison. “With Trump, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman could go ahead,” said Middle East correspondent Daisy Mohr. “He often held his hand above his head and expressed little criticism.”
Take the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He was killed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. According to the US CIA, the Crown Prince personally ordered the murder. But President Trump did little with it, spared Mohammed bin Salman, saying the United States will remain a “loyal partner” of Saudi Arabia.
President-elect Joe Biden described this as a “dangerous blank check” from Trump to the Saudi kingdom. Last month, Biden said he will review relations with Saudi Arabia. He also indicated that he wanted to end US support for Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. “We will certainly see a change in that,” said Mohr.
With the arrival of Biden, the ties between Saudi Arabia and the US will be slightly less warm, it is expected. Congratulations to the president-to-be took more than a day to come.
Iran deal
Saudi Arabia was also very pleased with Trump for his strategy of “maximum pressure” on nemesis Iran. Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018 and imposed the toughest sanctions it has ever known. Iran found itself in a severe economic crisis, exacerbated by the corona pandemic.
Biden says he wants to restore the nuclear deal, provided Iran adheres to the agreements on the nuclear program. Iranian President Rohani welcomes the Democrat’s victory and says he wants to cooperate if he corrects his predecessor’s mistakes. He mainly refers to the restoration of the nuclear accord and the lifting of sanctions. This will ensure that Iranian oil exports can get going again, an important source of income.
Check out how it was with the Iran deal here:
But the de facto ruler Ayatollah Khamenei does not trust the United States, regardless of who is in the White House. “The success of the negotiations on the nuclear deal is therefore not guaranteed in advance,” says Mohr. “Distrust of each other is great and that has only worsened in recent years. It will take time to regain trust and build relationships.”
In addition, Mohr also notes that what Iranian citizens prefer to see Trump than Biden. “It’s not that they think Trump is so fantastic, but he spoke firmly against those in power. For many Iranians, he was the last hope to free them from the regime.”
Withdraw troops
During the election campaign four years ago, Trump pledged to withdraw all US troops from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. It earned him votes from Americans who were war-tired and prefer to see billions of dollars spent on defense spent on domestic needs. But it also damaged America’s reputation as a loyal ally in the region.
Four years later, there are still thousands of American soldiers in the Middle East. Biden, like Trump, wants to withdraw it, but less abruptly. He believes it should be done in a responsible manner. He also wants to keep some troops in the region to prevent terrorist groups from growing again.
Israel and the Palestinian Territories
At the beginning of this year, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called Trump “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.” President Trump has therefore proven himself a loyal ally in recent years.
He moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty in the occupied Golan Heights and stopped donations to aid organizations for the Palestinians because the money would not be well spent. He also came up with a controversial peace plan in Israel’s favor and recently brokered diplomatic agreements between Israel and some Arab countries.
Prime Minister Netanyahu thus loses an important ally. On Twitter, he thanked Trump for his commitment to Israel and congratulated Biden on the win. He wrote that he has known the Democrat for nearly 40 years and that he knows he is a great friend of Israel. The question is whether Biden will indeed be as loyal as Trump.
“Biden is indeed known as pro-Israel,” said Israel correspondent Ties Brock. But that does not mean he will follow the same course as Trump. He wants to re-establish ties with the Palestinians and resume financial support for them. He is also in favor of a two-state solution, and critical of the building of Israeli settlements in Palestinian. area.
Brock does stress that Trump left a legacy that Biden will not undo. For example, he will not move the American embassy back to Tel Aviv and he supports the diplomatic agreements between Israel and Arab countries. Biden is encouraging other countries in the region to make similar deals.
“The Palestinians therefore know that under Biden they will not just get their own state or that settlement growth will end. But at least he seems willing to talk to the Palestinians and listen to their wishes.”