Now that we have a functioning POTUS, maybe this will be a better outcome. We can only hope and pray, and pray some more. This Saudi leader seemed much more receptive (to me) than any previous one. If this is a brand new approach, why not try it? It certainly can't hurt. I am astounded to see what they have built as nations there. Such opulence, and wealth, but ideologies rooted in the 7th century. Maybe this time the outcome will be better. Let's all give thanks to a President that is willing to try. I firmly believe that Mr. Trump is tired of the killing and hatred, and his heart is in the right place, and wants peace for all the world. Let's try to pray this approach into existence for him, and the world. I do my part daily. Great article, Roger.
It may be that the idea is to appeal to one of mankind's fundamental desires--comfort and wealth. Could this mute the impulse to terrorism among young disenfranchised Arab men?
I'm willing to support Pres Trump on this as his unconventional approaches have often panned out well. And God willing this will prevent a nuclear exchange with Iran and keep Israel safe(er).
I agree completely with your analysis Roger but Israel has tried exactly the same thing with the so called Palestinians. They were given Gaza and the results are known. Homo-economicus was trumped if you will by homo-ideologicus. They preferred martyrdom to peace with the hated Jews. But then, it’s all about leadership and perhaps the “new” breed of Arab leader who has removed the Jew hatred from its children’s books (MBS) will make DJT’s new approach successful.
It's easier for the Gazan to prefer martyrdom to their historical conditions. Perhaps they'd have a different time horizon for seeing Allah personally if the were sitting on Gulf-level buckets of cash instead of fighting over the crumbs from the U.N. and its ilk
Examples are powerful things. Gaza is a powerful example.
The U.S. has spent far too much time and intellectual capital trying to change these countries. USAID was famous for promoting ideas that irritated the host country and made getting other things done that were important impossible. It is not our job to change their society. Our job, such as it is to get them to have relations with us and others that are peaceful and fruitful.
Nice article with excellent timing, Roger. You stated this in other words, but I'd like to repeat it in Trump's words:
"In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins. …
I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment, my job to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity and peace."
I was informed that Dr. David Wurmser, a Middle East Analyst suggested that there is a competition between KSA (Saudi Arabia) and Qatar for Mr. Trump's attention - the gifts, etc. might be explained by this. Interesting.
I, too, have grave concerns with Qatar, yet another Political Scientist, some month or two ago, seemed to suggest that Qatar is less "divisive" nowadays. I can say that Qatar bought Al Gore's channel and the associated spectrum, which was immediately filled with Al Jazeera. Both Al Jazeera and the Clinton-adherents (esp. the Obama backers) seem to be anti-Semite and anti-Israel. I prefer a more American approach, where we don't harm fellow Americans, but rather seek to find peace and stability. Maybe Qatar is beginning to understand this, as the world now develops and grows rapidly. Time will tell...here's to hope for a return to Peace and Development.
Roger, in the famous words of our 26th. president...."Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick!" (derived from the phrase Speak Softly I believe.) I can't help but to, in these situations, thank the good lord that Uncle Joe Biden and his band of lemmings are not running the show right now. For him and his party (need we neglect to mention the MSM!!!) to put EVERY AMERICAN in danger through denying the mental and physical capability of a sitting president goes beyond the definition of traitor! There was NO method to the Joe Biden and left wing madness other than avoiding what was and is good for America!! Thanks for ruining my appetite this morning!! God bless POTUS, our military and our Veterans.
I am so grateful that, as a fellow Jew, you see things regarding the Middle East as I do. Some of our friends are not just questioning Trump’s decisions, but are backing away from his agenda, and that is troubling to me. If ever we need to “stay the course,” it’s now. Our expression, to “never forget”, is ingrained in my brain, and I will not forget what certain Middle Eastern countries have done to Jews, their own people, and to America and many other countries—and what they are capable of doing given their cultural differences. But in this particular instance, I am reminded that after America retaliated and dropped deadly A bombs on two of Japan’s cities which did deadly damage to people and property, we then turned around and spearheaded the rebuilding of Japan and offered countless other help to the Japanese people.
Everyone through out history have done terrible things to us. As the old joke goes about Jewish history goes: they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat! Maybe Trump really will stop the never ending wars in the Middle East and we can again eat in peace. Baruch HaShem!
Terrific article, Roger. in both the positive and scary meanings of that word - our president Truman is truly a remarkably strong, creative and unique leader. I pray for his (and our) success!
Excellent, insightful article! I don’t believe in modern day prophets, but their is something in prescience and I pray you have it and are sharing here.
A different take on the matter. Another world leader has been preaching for years that the West must allow each region to develop on its own terms rather than following a monolithic approach and submitting to a “rules-based” system. That leader is Vladimir Putin. Perhaps this seismic change opens the door to constructive dialog.
Liked the article. I think DJT speaks to the Arabic people , Qatar particularly, in a way most other Western diplomats and politicians do not, probably cannot.
Liked your comment on turning Iraq into a Denmark-I was working in Qatar in 2003 and completely gave up on the Republican Party and their neocons when they invaded Iraq with their absolutely harebrained ideas. Yours aye.
I could not agree MORE Roger.. No leader really wants war, rather they want their own country to prosper.. I think Trump gets that and he is providing opportunities for those countries.. Positive thoughts....
Another great read, Mr. Simon, and I wholeheartedly agree that another approach to the ME is in order. Frankly, I vividly recall the bold statement of the Bush administration after the shock and awe bombing, and subsequent invasion of Iraq, when Rice declared (as the statue of Sadam was toppled) that the Iraqi people can now enjoy democracy! If she truly believed that she is either a lot dumber than I thought or extremely naive. Our democracy has been challenging for 245 years and still running, so why does she think a society that has been ruled by fist for centuries and lacking a strong education system, actually implement the necessary steps to create a democracy. How does a voter assess a candidate’s qualification if they have the equivalence of a third grade degree in the US (albeit that standard itself has plummeted over the past 10 years). I have worked with Israeli and Arab companies who quietly cooperate with each other to create a favorable business environment - their literal comment was business is business and politics is politics - don’t mix the two. The US has naively tried to push its political and cultural structure/philosophy onto the rest of the world for decades, and frankly failed in the vast majority of cases. I support Trump’s approach and feel that it actually has a good chance of working, better to create mutually beneficial business and diplomatic relationships, than trying to bomb a nation into submission - which is always extremely expensive and non durable! Have a great weekend!
Your last sentence; I'd say don't trust, verify & verify again. I've reached the point where I assume anything the government, any government and/or the media, any media says is a lie until or unless proven otherwise.
President Trump with Qatar and about everywhere else; paraphrasing another President, he speaks softly, carries a big stick but it willing to deal even if he does carefully count his fingers following the handshake sealing it.
"Neither of the Sinwar brothers, alive or dead. . ." News reports out of Israel are that the second brother was just killed last night. On the one hand, that makes me happy. OTOH, there has to come a time when Israelis and Hamas have to stop killing each other, as I think it is impossible to kill enough to bring peace to the ME.
As for Trump's ME trip, I agree that we need to find a new way of working with the Arabs. Turning them into copies of American democracies has not worked. I thought it might, and hoped it would. I was even assigned to a number of American embassies where it was part of our mission statement, and I actively worked for it. It is time to recognize that we are not succeeding in that endeavor. Trump has recognized that and turned the page. I am ready to see if we can succeed in this changed policy.
Now that we have a functioning POTUS, maybe this will be a better outcome. We can only hope and pray, and pray some more. This Saudi leader seemed much more receptive (to me) than any previous one. If this is a brand new approach, why not try it? It certainly can't hurt. I am astounded to see what they have built as nations there. Such opulence, and wealth, but ideologies rooted in the 7th century. Maybe this time the outcome will be better. Let's all give thanks to a President that is willing to try. I firmly believe that Mr. Trump is tired of the killing and hatred, and his heart is in the right place, and wants peace for all the world. Let's try to pray this approach into existence for him, and the world. I do my part daily. Great article, Roger.
It may be that the idea is to appeal to one of mankind's fundamental desires--comfort and wealth. Could this mute the impulse to terrorism among young disenfranchised Arab men?
I'm willing to support Pres Trump on this as his unconventional approaches have often panned out well. And God willing this will prevent a nuclear exchange with Iran and keep Israel safe(er).
Not sure there is any solution to Gaza.
Well said and AMEN Connie!!
If it results in additional signatures to the Abraham accords, why not?
I agree completely with your analysis Roger but Israel has tried exactly the same thing with the so called Palestinians. They were given Gaza and the results are known. Homo-economicus was trumped if you will by homo-ideologicus. They preferred martyrdom to peace with the hated Jews. But then, it’s all about leadership and perhaps the “new” breed of Arab leader who has removed the Jew hatred from its children’s books (MBS) will make DJT’s new approach successful.
It's easier for the Gazan to prefer martyrdom to their historical conditions. Perhaps they'd have a different time horizon for seeing Allah personally if the were sitting on Gulf-level buckets of cash instead of fighting over the crumbs from the U.N. and its ilk
"They preferred martyrdom."
Examples are powerful things. Gaza is a powerful example.
The U.S. has spent far too much time and intellectual capital trying to change these countries. USAID was famous for promoting ideas that irritated the host country and made getting other things done that were important impossible. It is not our job to change their society. Our job, such as it is to get them to have relations with us and others that are peaceful and fruitful.
Nice article with excellent timing, Roger. You stated this in other words, but I'd like to repeat it in Trump's words:
"In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it's our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use US policy to dispense justice for their sins. …
I believe it is God's job to sit in judgment, my job to defend America and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity and peace."
I was informed that Dr. David Wurmser, a Middle East Analyst suggested that there is a competition between KSA (Saudi Arabia) and Qatar for Mr. Trump's attention - the gifts, etc. might be explained by this. Interesting.
I, too, have grave concerns with Qatar, yet another Political Scientist, some month or two ago, seemed to suggest that Qatar is less "divisive" nowadays. I can say that Qatar bought Al Gore's channel and the associated spectrum, which was immediately filled with Al Jazeera. Both Al Jazeera and the Clinton-adherents (esp. the Obama backers) seem to be anti-Semite and anti-Israel. I prefer a more American approach, where we don't harm fellow Americans, but rather seek to find peace and stability. Maybe Qatar is beginning to understand this, as the world now develops and grows rapidly. Time will tell...here's to hope for a return to Peace and Development.
Probably so, but as always, trust but verify… and verify again.
Exactly My Take.
It would also to find out what happened behind Closed Doors.
Roger, in the famous words of our 26th. president...."Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick!" (derived from the phrase Speak Softly I believe.) I can't help but to, in these situations, thank the good lord that Uncle Joe Biden and his band of lemmings are not running the show right now. For him and his party (need we neglect to mention the MSM!!!) to put EVERY AMERICAN in danger through denying the mental and physical capability of a sitting president goes beyond the definition of traitor! There was NO method to the Joe Biden and left wing madness other than avoiding what was and is good for America!! Thanks for ruining my appetite this morning!! God bless POTUS, our military and our Veterans.
As you stated Roger, nothing else has worked!
I am so grateful that, as a fellow Jew, you see things regarding the Middle East as I do. Some of our friends are not just questioning Trump’s decisions, but are backing away from his agenda, and that is troubling to me. If ever we need to “stay the course,” it’s now. Our expression, to “never forget”, is ingrained in my brain, and I will not forget what certain Middle Eastern countries have done to Jews, their own people, and to America and many other countries—and what they are capable of doing given their cultural differences. But in this particular instance, I am reminded that after America retaliated and dropped deadly A bombs on two of Japan’s cities which did deadly damage to people and property, we then turned around and spearheaded the rebuilding of Japan and offered countless other help to the Japanese people.
Everyone through out history have done terrible things to us. As the old joke goes about Jewish history goes: they tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat! Maybe Trump really will stop the never ending wars in the Middle East and we can again eat in peace. Baruch HaShem!
Terrific article, Roger. in both the positive and scary meanings of that word - our president Truman is truly a remarkably strong, creative and unique leader. I pray for his (and our) success!
Roger,
Excellent, insightful article! I don’t believe in modern day prophets, but their is something in prescience and I pray you have it and are sharing here.
A different take on the matter. Another world leader has been preaching for years that the West must allow each region to develop on its own terms rather than following a monolithic approach and submitting to a “rules-based” system. That leader is Vladimir Putin. Perhaps this seismic change opens the door to constructive dialog.
Liked the article. I think DJT speaks to the Arabic people , Qatar particularly, in a way most other Western diplomats and politicians do not, probably cannot.
Liked your comment on turning Iraq into a Denmark-I was working in Qatar in 2003 and completely gave up on the Republican Party and their neocons when they invaded Iraq with their absolutely harebrained ideas. Yours aye.
I could not agree MORE Roger.. No leader really wants war, rather they want their own country to prosper.. I think Trump gets that and he is providing opportunities for those countries.. Positive thoughts....
Another great read, Mr. Simon, and I wholeheartedly agree that another approach to the ME is in order. Frankly, I vividly recall the bold statement of the Bush administration after the shock and awe bombing, and subsequent invasion of Iraq, when Rice declared (as the statue of Sadam was toppled) that the Iraqi people can now enjoy democracy! If she truly believed that she is either a lot dumber than I thought or extremely naive. Our democracy has been challenging for 245 years and still running, so why does she think a society that has been ruled by fist for centuries and lacking a strong education system, actually implement the necessary steps to create a democracy. How does a voter assess a candidate’s qualification if they have the equivalence of a third grade degree in the US (albeit that standard itself has plummeted over the past 10 years). I have worked with Israeli and Arab companies who quietly cooperate with each other to create a favorable business environment - their literal comment was business is business and politics is politics - don’t mix the two. The US has naively tried to push its political and cultural structure/philosophy onto the rest of the world for decades, and frankly failed in the vast majority of cases. I support Trump’s approach and feel that it actually has a good chance of working, better to create mutually beneficial business and diplomatic relationships, than trying to bomb a nation into submission - which is always extremely expensive and non durable! Have a great weekend!
Your last sentence; I'd say don't trust, verify & verify again. I've reached the point where I assume anything the government, any government and/or the media, any media says is a lie until or unless proven otherwise.
President Trump with Qatar and about everywhere else; paraphrasing another President, he speaks softly, carries a big stick but it willing to deal even if he does carefully count his fingers following the handshake sealing it.
"Neither of the Sinwar brothers, alive or dead. . ." News reports out of Israel are that the second brother was just killed last night. On the one hand, that makes me happy. OTOH, there has to come a time when Israelis and Hamas have to stop killing each other, as I think it is impossible to kill enough to bring peace to the ME.
As for Trump's ME trip, I agree that we need to find a new way of working with the Arabs. Turning them into copies of American democracies has not worked. I thought it might, and hoped it would. I was even assigned to a number of American embassies where it was part of our mission statement, and I actively worked for it. It is time to recognize that we are not succeeding in that endeavor. Trump has recognized that and turned the page. I am ready to see if we can succeed in this changed policy.
Trump came up in Norman Vincent Peale's church