By: Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
On November 12, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had picked real estate executive Steven Witkoff to be his upcoming administration's special envoy to the Middle East.
Witkoff is a New Yorker, Jewish, a successful real estate executive, and a personal friend of Trump.
While the exact details of what Trump wants to accomplish in the Middle East are yet unknown, he has repeatedly said he wants peace. However, to accomplish peace, he would need to partner with a different Prime Minister in Israel than Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu is not seen as an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians. However, his two radical ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Ithamar Ben Gvir will never allow any peace plan for Palestinians. They demand all Palestinians remain under brutal military occupation, or be deported, or be killed.
"Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud," said Trump of Witkoff.
"With President Trump, the Middle East experienced historic levels of peace and stability. Strength prevents wars. Iran's money was cut off which prevented their funding of global terror," Witkoff wrote on X in late July.
The Witkoff announcement came the day after Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) hosted the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit, which merged the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, on November 11 in Riyadh.
The summit issued a resolution covering the issues facing the Middle East, with the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people a central point.
The leaders in attendance were likely to have wondered about Trump's Middle East policy once he took office on January 20, 2025.
MBS demanded an immediate stop to Israeli military attacks in Gaza and Lebanon. He condemned the massacre committed against Palestinian and Lebanese people and called on countries around the world to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League said, "The actions taken by Israel against the Palestinian people are undermining efforts to achieve lasting peace. It is only with justice that we will be able to establish lasting peace."
Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati told the summit attendees that his country was under an existential threat due to Israel's war on Hezbollah, which has killed civilians and destroyed infrastructure not connected to Hezbollah.
The 79 members that comprise the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation include a few countries that recognize Israel and others opposed to normalization.
Experts have said the summit is a way to send a message to the upcoming Trump administration about what they want from Washington and what issues are a red line.
Trump has viewed Iran as an enemy and shared the view Netanyahu that Iran is the biggest threat to Israel, and the backbone of the axis of resistance to the occupation of Palestine, which was deemed illegal on July 19, 2024, under international law by the International Court of Justice.
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