United States Middle East Policy in the Age of Donald Trump

This essay on the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East in the middle of the second Trump administration and the continuing conflict in Gaza and the West Bank makes the case for decades of consistency in US policy but also some nuances from the current US administration. The author makes the case that there have been three constants in US policy since the era of the Second World War. First, is the guarantee the flow of reasonably priced oil to the United States and its allies. Second, the maintenance of the state of Israel as a defender of Western interests through military, economic, and political support. Third, the maintenance of US hegemony in the regime against all challengers. During the Cold War it was the Soviet Union and today it is China. The Trump administrations have continued that triple focus while giving almost totally uncritical support to the Netanyahu government while simultaneously pursuing major business deals with the Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia. It is unclear if this approach can end the current fighting and provide a pathway to a Palestinian state.