US-Israel ‘special relations’ possibly to end
(MENAFN) Last week, US President Donald Trump embarked on his first official overseas tour since taking office, visiting three key Gulf nations—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. This itinerary was unconventional and, in many respects, groundbreaking. Unlike past presidents who typically began their foreign policy trips with visits to long-standing Western allies, Trump chose to prioritize his Arab partners and notably excluded Israel from his Middle East agenda. This marked the first time in decades that a sitting US president deliberately left Israel out of their visit.
This decision suggests a possible shift in Washington's regional priorities. Relations between the Trump administration and Israeli leadership, especially with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were already tense, largely due to Israel’s continued hardline stance on the Palestinian issue and the increasing influence of far-right groups within its government. With growing frustration over Israel’s policies, the White House seemed to pivot towards a more pragmatic and economically beneficial relationship with the Gulf monarchies.
The reasons behind this pivot went beyond political considerations. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar have long been critical to sustaining US influence in the region, not just because of their strategic location but also due to their significant investments in the US economy and multi-billion-dollar defense contracts. For a business-oriented president keen to showcase the economic benefits of foreign policy, these Gulf states were appealing partners.
While the grand receptions Trump received in these Gulf nations might have been seen as ceremonial, their deeper significance lay in highlighting a broader geopolitical shift: the Gulf monarchies’ transformation from regional players to assertive global actors. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are no longer content to be passive participants in an American-led framework but are positioning themselves as independent power centers in a multipolar world.
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