Author: David Hearst
Affiliation: The editor in chief of Middle East Eye
Organization/Publisher: Middle East Eye
Date/Place: November 17, 2020/UK
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 2099
Link: https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/us-elections-2020-joe-biden-trump-allies-middle-east
Keywords: Trump, Joe Biden, Middle East
Brief:
David Hearst argues that for Trump’s allies in the Middle East, the President-elect’s actions will be a new nightmare. For instance, in Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is hastening settlement construction in the Palestinian territories before the predictable freeze or pause in January when Biden takes over. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is changing its attitude to Turkey, after declaring Turkey as a threat and calling for boycott of Turkish products across Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia has now changed and become friendly to Turkey, and even King Salman sent ‘urgent aid’ to Izmir after the earthquake. The author asserts that Mohammed bin Salman will be affected very negatively. Biden has all reasons to support MBS’s enemies in the royal family, to stop the over-ambitious prince from being the next king. Concerning Turkey, the author maintains that Turkey is ‘a more confident regional military power than it was in Obama’s time’. Whether Biden likes it or not, Turkey is an essential player in many regions, from Syria and Iraq to Libya; thus, Biden has to deal based on Turkey’s power on the ground.
By: Fadi Zatari, CIGA Senior Research Associate
