Second, work with the laws of physics in the Middle East. Don’t seek to empower one party against another or play them off each other too much as former President Barack Obama tried to do with Iran against the Arab nations. The fact is, in the 26 countries that compose the Middle East and North Africa, the vast majority of those 500 million people are Sunni Arabs, and they are our natural allies. They helped destroy the Soviet Union by burying Communism in Afghanistan, and will help us contain Beijing if we understand and marshal the strength of religious faith against a godless China. That powerful narrative is yet to be shaped.
Third, build on the Abraham Accords — the Arab-Israeli normalization process started during President Trump’s first term. But here, Saudi Arabia’s price for a Palestinian state will not be, cannot be, paid by an Israel that genuinely fears for its own security. As long as mosques, schools, hospitals, universities and charities support the destruction of Israel and death to Jews, the U.S. cannot empower a terror base that gave us Oct. 7 and promises of more such attacks.
Syria’s new leader may have exchanged his fighting gear for a formal suit and tie. | Ozan Kose/Getty Images
Nations like Indonesia, Brunei and Mauritania should thus be brought closer to Israel. Palestine must seek peace under new leadership. And if Egypt and Jordan oppose the idea of evacuating Gaza, they must bring their own plan as to how Hamas and Islamic Jihad will be removed from Gaza and the West Bank.
Fourth, you and your colleagues in Congress will be heavily lobbied to provide sanctions relief to Damascus and rescind the Caesar Act. But while Syria’s new leader may have exchanged his fighting gear for a formal suit and tie, we cannot be so easily fooled. His organization is a designated terror group.
Indeed, Ahmad al-Sharaa may claim to have changed his spots, but first, we need answers to important questions: What role will a literalist interpretation of Sharia law play in Syria? Did he support the 9/11 attacks? What are his views on Osama bin Laden? How many Americans did he or his organization kill in Iraq? Does he think Hamas and Islamic Jihad are worthy of Syria’s support? And does he recognize the legitimacy of Israel? We can accept change in politicians — Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Russia’s Mikhail Gorbachev demonstrated clear evidence of it. Absent answers, we owe no support.
Fifth, in Washington, very little is understood about the Kurds. However, given the fluidity in Syria, the fears in Turkey, and U.S. fraternity with Syria’s Kurds who helped defeat the Islamic State, there’s urgent need for clarity. This important constituency of almost 50 million people could help you balance and convene around the concerns of Turkey, Iran, Syria, Iraq and Armenia — that’s five nations. Hold the Trump card and keep them all guessing, but ensure the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a leftist terror outfit, isn’t enabled.