U.S. Election Results And The Future Of The Middle East: Analysis
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… a time for war, and a time for peace.
The results are in, and it's official. Like it or not, Donald J. Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. And while this reality might be met with resistance by some, we’ll leave all political opinions at the door. Instead, in true Practical Prophecy fashion, we’re dedicating this discussion to exploring the effects of a second Trump presidency on the Middle East, its implications for Israel, and how it will ultimately change the future of the entire region.
While Israel has been entangled in a war against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran for well over a year, a Trump presidency brings the prospect of peace. In fact, a Trump presidency is arguably the best thing that could happen for Israel at the present moment. This is because the Biden administration has spent the last year continually undermining Israel, repeatedly preventing them from acting “too harshly” against Iran and its affiliates. To put it bluntly, the current U.S. administration has acted as a sort of “buffer” for Iran, shielding them from the full force of Israel’s military might. And the reason the U.S has been able to do this? Leverage; Israel depends on the United States for a vast portion of its munitions. This means that Israel is essentially at the mercy of U.S. foreign policy as it pertains to being able to act against Iran. And it's actually pretty incredible that Israel has been able to accomplish all they have over the past year while still maintaining healthy ties with the current U.S. administration.
But all of this changes with a Trump presidency. Not only is Donald Trump a strong supporter of Israel, he’s also notoriously harsh on Iran - a good thing. It was Trump's force posture in the Middle East that kept Iran in check between 2016 - 2020. And it was Trump's decision to back out of the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal), along with a handful of sanctions, that crippled Iran’s ability to seriously advance their nuclear program during his time in office. Furthermore, Donald Trump unequivocally supports Israel’s right to defend themselves - no strings attached. The reason is multifaceted: Not only is Trump aiming to please his evangelical constituents (who make up a large portion of his voter base), but deterring Iran’s malign influence is simply in the best interest of U.S. national security. In this vein, Israel and the United States have mutual interests, which is why Israel is America's strongest ally in the region, acting as a sort of “forward operating base” against the Islamic regime. In other words, a Trump presidency will afford Israel tremendous leeway to act against Iran in a forceful and decisive way.
Furthermore, President Trump will seek to keep the momentum of the Abraham Accords going, building off the landmark 2020 deal that saw four Arab countries (The UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan) normalize relations with Israel. It’s common knowledge that prior to Trump's loss in the 2020 presidential election, Saudi Arabia was on the verge of joining the Accords, normalizing relations with Israel in what would have been a historic moment - Saudi Arabia is the unspoken representative of the Islamic world, after all, and the Saudis buy in promised a host of Arab countries would follow in its train. This potential landmark deal was made possible entirely by Donald Trump's son in law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, who has a positive professional - and personal - relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. However, due to the Saudis contentious relationship with the Democratic party, these plans were put on ice indefinitely following Biden's 2020 victory. But with Donald Trump back in the White House, a new Middle East is likely to emerge - one that sees a strong regional alliance between Israel and their Arab neighbors, to Iran’s disadvantage.
But these plans need not wait until inauguration day to begin. As early as July of this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate, where the two discussed the future of the Middle East, and how they would work together to collectively accomplish their goal of bringing peace to the region. And in a twist of Biblical irony (or foreshadowing?) the two even posed in front of a replica of the ark of the covenant, which now resides in Jerusalem, ready to be used by the Temple Institute if the opportunity arises to rebuild the Jewish Temple. Of course, this also raises another question: What effect does a Trump presidency have on the potential fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? And the answer is, it has a huge effect (No, Donald Trump is not the antichrist). That said, America isn’t even mentioned in Bible prophecy. As many of you know, the narrative of Scripture is primarily centered around events in the Middle East. However, this doesn't mean the United States (or a Trump presidency) doesn't have an effect on the dynamics surrounding these events.
For what it's worth, the United States is a global superpower. Even during the Biden administration, decisions made by the United States had a tremendous effect on shaping the dynamics of the Middle East. In fact, it's unlikely that Hamas would have invaded Israel under a strong U.S. administration. But given the Biden administration’s disastrous foreign policy, as well as weak force posture, Israel’s enemies took advantage. And it's not an exaggeration to say the regional war in the Middle East has set the stage for the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Scripture is clear that the 70th week of Daniel (the final seven years of this present age) arrives on the heels of war. And it's the resolution of this war, along with the unprecedented (albeit temporary) regional peace, that comprises the first half of this seven year timeframe. So the question becomes, how exactly will Israel arrive at this presumptive peace? Said another way, how on earth will peace - even temporary peace - ever be brought to the Middle East? Enter President Donald Trump.
Now, please here me. I'm not saying that Donald Trump is mentioned in Bible prophecy. He's not. I'm simply suggesting that based on the current dynamics of the Middle East, along with Trump's ironclad relationship with both Benjamin Netanyahu and Mohammed Bin Salman, the context is ripe for a new Middle East. At present, normalization between Israel and the Islamic world, within the context of a two state solution, is on the table. Biden couldn't get it done (and neither would Kamala have). But Trump can. The Arab Peace Initiative, which seeks to make Jerusalem an Arab capital, is outdated and untenable. And it's not insignificant that during his first term in office, President Trump declared Jerusalem to be the eternal capital of Israel - a clear jab at the Arab Peace Initiative. In other words, the only path forward to peace in the Middle East is compromise. And Donald Trump, along with his sidekick son in-law Jared Kushner, are the only ones who are savvy enough - and qualified enough - to get it done. It's only a matter of time.
If this topic interests you, I’d invite you to take a moment (or several) to carefully read through my previous piece on the dynamics of the Middle East leading up to the 70th week (skip ahead to Part 2 to read about current events). It paints a much more detailed picture of the events currently unfolding within the region. ⬇️
