Something’s Got to Give – A New Middle East Approach from President Trump

Islamic prayer starts at sunrise. Salat is heard five times each day, throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Just as often, Iranian Mullahs and high-ranking Iranian military officials spew hatred of the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Iranian leaders are the largest supporter of terrorism and war in the world, while their country suffers shortages, inflation, corruption, sanctions, and unrest.

Brigadier General of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Mohammad Reza Naqi, on Iraqi TV, boasted that Iran could destroy Saudi Arabia; and if America responded, Iran would destroy every American military base in the region. 

Secretary-General Akram Al-Kaabi declared on Iranian TV, that Iran is fighting U.S. and British regimes; Israelis on the land are occupiers, Israel is a cancerous tumor. He vowed destruction of Israel, and to hoist the Islamic Revolution Flag in Jerusalem.

War, destruction, terrorism, killing of innocents, and fomenting hatred are carried out by Iran and its proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen. Television, radio, social media networks, and print media messages in Arabic are continuously broadcast all over the Middle East and North Africa.

President Donald Trump knows the Iran Nuclear Deal was a disaster, that Iran is a primary cause of chaos, and has a goal to be the dominant force in the region. Trump pulled out and reinstated sanctions.

The Ayatollah Khomeini orchestrated the 1979 overthrow of Reza Shaw. Students, believing an Islamic theocracy better than the pro-western model of the Shah of Iran, were the major force of the Revolution. President Jimmy Carter was instrumental in Ayatollah Khomeini becoming the leader of Iran.

Khomeini joined PLO’s Yasser Arafat to condemn Israel. Arafat invented Palestinian People, a term used for Arabs that fled Israel during the 1948 war.

The catastrophic Oslo accords of Jimmy Carter, Yasser Arafat, and Yitzhak Rabin were a mistake. Oslo cemented Arafat’s invention of the Palestinian people; rather than the true shared identity of Arabs and Jews that had lived on that geography for centuries. 

Palestinians became a propaganda device with demands to return land occupied by Israeli Jews. There has never been a nation called Palestine, no Palestinian language, no Palestinian culture, no Palestinian state governed by Arabs. Both Arabs and Jews lived there for centuries. Iran propagates Arafat’s concept by re-writing history and re-telling the lie so often it appears as fact.        

Gaza is on the Mediterranean surrounded by Egypt and Israel, controlled by various entities over time; recently by Ottomans, British, then Egypt. Israel was at war with Egypt, Syria, and Jordon in 1967. She won territory from each. From Egypt, she won Gaza. Between 1967 and 2005 Jews and Arabs lived in prosperous Gaza.

Israel in 2005 made Gaza an independent state. Jews living in Gaza were forced to relocate. Gaza elected as its government the terrorist group Hamas, which is supported by Iran. Iran funds Hamas with weapons, long-range rockets, IED’s, anti-tank munitions, drones, and money.

Hezbollah in Lebanon is another Iranian terrorist proxy. Iran funds Hezbollah between $100 - $300 million yearly; 120,000 Iranian rockets threaten Israel. Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said on Lebanese TV, there is a plan to invade Galilee and destroy Israel.

Syria has a long-term alliance with Iran, which supports President Bashar Assad. The Syrian Civil war is a humanitarian catastrophe, with 5 million war refugees in Europe, Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, and other countries.

A Rubik's Cube of proxy fighters are in Syria. Kurds fighting against Assad; Russians fighting for Assad, Iranians fighting for Assad, Turks fighting against Assad and against the Kurds, Iranians fighting against the Kurds; US Troops fighting ISIS. Russia and Turkey negotiated a truce with Assad in September; then President Trump announced the slow withdrawal American Troops, leaving some troops in a joint force with allies.

Yemen sits on Saudi’s southern border and is pro-Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia have been enemies for decades. Iranian backed Houthi rebels fight to overthrow the Saudi government and install a government loyal to Iran. This war is part of a regional power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia.  

Ruling Iranian Mullahs are millionaires and billionaires. Mismanagement, corruption, proxy wars, and huge amounts spent on terrorism have Iran’s economy in shambles. Inflation is more than 50%. The Rial has lost 70% of its value. Demonstrations and unrest are in all segments population. A letter sent to President Trump, signed by 400 Iranian students, praises President Trump for the courage to speak directly to the Iranian people. ‘We ask for free elections to replace the current regime.’ The letter supports the oldest son of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile. Is another revolution plausible?

Iran uses an emotional story of 3 million Arabs living in Gaza and the West Bank as an international cause for human rights. Palestinians believe that Israel is land which has been taken from them, due to lies told for generations in pre-school, school, training camps, the media, and by the Hamas government – and fueled by Iran.  

The Israel/Palestinian issue must be resolved. Peace plans have been negotiated by Jimmy Carter and every president since. All have failed. A new approach, a comprehensive sociopolitical and educational transformation like there was in Japan and in Germany after WWII is needed.

President Trump, Secretary of State Pompeo, National Security Advisor Bolton, Ambassador Freidman, Jared Kushner, and others are involved. This could include economic development of Gaza with investment from Arab Gulf States. Economic prosperity is needed, not through Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, or Iran, but through Palestinian leaders in local communities and in cooperation with other Arab Gulf States and with other countries seeking stability in the Middle East.  After the Israeli April 9th elections, we will see the what that is.