US Middle East Policy

General Amidror: US withdrawal from Syria is a red flagץ
Former NSA warns that US pullout from Syria endangers Kurds, empowers Turkey, and sends troubling message to American allies.

Like Obama, Trump is eroding American credibility.
Dr. Emmanuel Navon: The US pullout from Syria is both a strategic and a moral mistake.

Israel will need to increase the intensity of its operations against the Iranians. US withdrawal from the arena is a good opportunity for Israel to update its strategy in Syria.

The possibility that Iran and Turkey will be emboldened by the American decision, is worrisome. The main counter to that will be robust deterrence from Israel, whose maintenance may increase the likeliness of escalation in Syria and Lebanon, and even more resort to the restraining hand of Russia.

Trump Syria pullout ‘blow’ to Tel Aviv: Israeli experts.
Dr. Eran Lerman: The move will make anyone who thinks of a coalition with the U.S. in the future move away from the idea.

Trump’s hurried exit from Syria, under pressure from a Turkish threat, will be interpreted by all sides as a strategic defeat, an abandonment and a debacle.

Rare event showcases potential of Israeli-Palestinian business cooperation.
David Weinberg of JISS: The Trump administration is making a contribution to realistic peace discourse.

Liberman at JISS: US Sanctions Will Reduce Iran’s Terror Financing Former NSC Chief Yaakov Amidror says Russia will be embarrassed when IDF overcomes S-300 in Syria.

Trump’s wavering on one-state or two-states leaves many in a state of confusion.
Middle East analysts say there is growing skepticism around the world of the Palestinians’ ability even to create and sustain an independent state. Prof. Efraim Inbar: Sometimes ambiguity serves us better than a clear solution.”

In the Mideast of today, the US is largely irrelevant, when it is not disruptive, and is certainly not providing clear leadership. With the current disarray in DC, it does not look like this will change any time soon.