For the Last Four Years, America Got The Middle East Right
Topics: Politics, World
Public Release Date: January 14, 2021
Joe Biden’s approach to the Middle East will likely be very different than Donald Trump’s. But should it be? For some, the Trump legacy was the right approach: A transactional style that resulted in a host of political and diplomatic victories, including normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states. It was also selectively aggressively when it came to the death of the leader of the Islamic State or sanctions against Iran that, some say, blunted Tehran’s ambitions and reduced its power in the region. But others, including many prominent members of Biden's transition team, see the last four years as a failure of strategy and leadership. They argue that Trump's personalized approach to the Middle East eroded America's moral agency and gave cover to authoritarian leaders. To them, Trump’s stance on Iran emboldened hardliners, while its staunch support for Israeli interests isolated American allies and undermined the Palestinians.
So, as the Biden team gets going, we debate whether Trump got the Middle East right.
ARGUING YES:
Mary Beth Long: Fmr. Assistant Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs
Danny Danon: Israel’s 17th Permanent Representative, United Nations & Chairman, World Likud
ARGUING NO:
Dr. Justine A. Rosenthal: Former Editor-in-Chief, The National Interest & Executive Editor, Newsweek Magazine
Michael Ware: Fmr. Time Magazine Baghdad Bureau Chief & CNN Correspondent
MODERATOR:
John Donvan: Emmy award-winning journalist