- Israeli Writer: Normalization is Better for "Tel Aviv" Instead of Dealing a Devastating Blow to Iran
- Economic and Social Crises Accelerate the Normalization Train Between 'Tel Aviv' and the Arab World
- Netanyahu: "This corridor will realize a vision that dates back many years, which will change the face of the Middle East and the face of 'Israel.'"
Despite not having assumed his position yet, Israeli media predict a warm and strong relationship between Donald Trump and the "Tel Aviv" government, as well as an increase in his support for Benjamin Netanyahu, especially since the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip is still ongoing, along with the occupation of lands in Syria and Lebanon.
Trump's Inauguration
As Netanyahu awaits January 20 to travel to Washington for Trump's inauguration—he is one of the invited guests to the grand ceremony—it is worth noting that he was among the first to congratulate the U.S. president immediately after the announcement of his election victory last November, famously stating, "Congratulations on the greatest comeback in history," even though Trump himself attacked Netanyahu shortly after he congratulated his predecessor, Joe Biden, in 2020 when Biden entered the White House as President of the United States, as reported by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid in his book titled "Trump's Peace."
Ravid recounts that Trump leveled severe criticism at Netanyahu, to which the latter expressed his appreciation for what Trump had done for his country, saying, "I greatly appreciate President Trump's significant contributions to Israel and its security," in a display of political cunning to avoid losing the trust and support of the entire American Republican Party, alongside his expectation that Trump could return to the White House again, which indeed happened!
As a result, the Hebrew media has raised the possibility of Trump reviving the stalled normalization process between "Tel Aviv" and Arab countries in light of the outbreak of the "Flood of Al-Aqsa" operation on October 7, 2023, which the Zionist entity asserted was a primary reason for the halt of the normalization train in practice.
On November 13, 2023, the Hebrew newspaper "Haaretz" reported that Trump dreams of normalization between "Tel Aviv" and a major Arab state in the region, and that all the appointments announced by the elected president are very close to the Israeli right, especially Steven Charles Witkoff, whom he appointed as a special envoy to the Middle East. The newspaper clarified that Witkoff will work on annexing more Arab lands to the entity and will also be the "architect" of normalization between the entity and Arab and Islamic countries as well—this is an Israeli and American vision that always supports Netanyahu and his government, and he often tweets about this on his official page on "X."
Orly Azulay, a writer for the newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth," observed on December 18, 2024, that Trump's intervention to sign a historic normalization agreement between the Zionist entity and major Arab states is better for "Tel Aviv" rather than delivering a devastating blow to Iran. She pointed out that the elected American president squandered a huge opportunity for "Israel" when he withdrew—she described it as "tearing apart" the agreement—from the Iranian nuclear deal in 2018, arguing that he gave Tehran the chance to leap towards a nuclear bomb. However, Azulay suggested in her article that Netanyahu is the voice that whispered in Trump's ear, pushing him to exit the agreement with Iran, in the context of her discussion on normalization, speculating that the elected U.S. president will engage in the normalization process under the pretext of achieving U.S. ("Israeli") interests in the Middle East.
Two days after this article, specifically on December 20, the Hebrew newspaper "Israel Hayom" reported that Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, former advisor, and architect of the Abraham Accords, stated that Trump could reach an agreement with a major Arab country within just six months, expanding the circle of peace in the Middle East.
American Vision
Kushner did not stop there; he indicated that large Islamic countries (Pakistan and Indonesia) are expected to join the peace agreements with the Israeli entity, as well as other Islamic countries around the world. He claimed that the new vision of the Trump administration revolves around connectivity from Haifa port to Muscat in Oman, representing an economic vision based on the economic corridor project announced by U.S. President Joe Biden in September 2023, which was halted by "the Flood of Al-Aqsa." This corridor extends from India to the Middle East and reaches Europe, raising many questions, especially since Netanyahu welcomed it on the tenth of the same month (September 2023).
Netanyahu said at the time: "This corridor will realize a vision that dates back many years, which will change the face of the Middle East and the face of 'Israel.'"
There is a connection between the Biden administration's vision for the economic corridor from India to Europe and what Netanyahu claims regarding the formation of a new Middle East. This connection is especially pertinent as he presented a map of this corridor during his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2023. As Trump is a first-class businessman, he would align with this vision and even support it, as it serves Zionist-American interests, especially since the activation and implementation of this corridor means proceeding with the "normalization" train.
The Train of Normalization Moves Reluctantly
On November 10, 2024, the "Jerusalem Post" predicted that countries affected by the war in the Gaza Strip hope Trump will push Netanyahu to end the war in the sector quickly, due to the economic and social damages that they will endure for years to come. The paper indicated that Arab countries expect the new Trump administration to provide more incentives to advance the normalization option.
This comes at a time when the newspaper expected Trump to push through Netanyahu's extreme policies, such as annexing areas in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Syria, and southern Lebanon, despite his announcement to work on ending the war in the Middle East. However, it would serve Zionist-American interests, especially since he has received significant support from the American right.
Severe Economic and Social Crises
This expectation is attributed to what the United Nations Development Program observed in January 2024 regarding the costs of the war in Gaza on the three neighboring countries of occupied Palestine—Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon—experiencing severe economic damages within just three months of the war's onset, amounting to $10.3 billion, with expectations of a refugee influx, rising public debt, and declines in trade and tourism. There was a 30% reduction in traffic in the Suez Canal during the same month, increasing to 60% over the past three months, while Egypt lost approximately $7 billion due to Houthi strikes on the Israeli entity and the suspension of actions in the Red Sea.
American Incentives
However, just before the Zionist war on southern Lebanon, Beirut was primarily suffering from a severe financial crisis that led to a significant collapse of its national currency, where the Lebanese lira lost over 90% of its value; this had a substantial impact on the purchasing power of citizens. This crisis coincided with high inflation and a nearly 50% decline in gross domestic product.
In contrast, Jordan was also affected by the war on Gaza, as revenues from the tourism sector dropped by 20% during the first half of 2024, with a noticeable decline in the number of tourists; meanwhile, the costs of raw materials and production inputs rose, after delays in their arrival due to Houthis' attacks in the Red Sea, causing confusion among Jordanian factories. Local forecasts suggest that the continuation of the war could exacerbate the economic crisis in the Kingdom, placing it before significant challenges in the future.
Thus, following a brief discussion on the extent of the economic damage suffered by Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt as a result of the Zionist war on Gaza, we are faced with an anticipated attempt from the new administration of Donald Trump to leverage economic promises to support certain Arab countries, in order to normalize relations with the Zionist entity or to coerce them into doing so through additional incentives!
