Arab experts believe that the appointments announced by US President-elect Donald Trump as part of his next administration show a clear trend towards strengthening Zionist figures who support extremist Israeli policies, which prompts the Arabs to take a firm stance to confront these trends.

Experts pointed out that these appointments were disappointing to many Arab and Muslim voters who had pinned their ambitions on Trump's promises to end wars and achieve peace in the Middle East.

However, it was not surprising, as it reflects an expected approach from Trump, and continues the strong support he provided to Israel during his first term in office (2017-2021).

Controversial appointments

Before he officially assumes the presidency on January 20, Trump has revealed, in recent days, the names of prominent candidates for key positions in his next administration, many of whom are known for their strong support for the policies of the far-right in Israel.

Among these controversial names, the nomination of Republican Senator Marco Rubio for the position of Secretary of State stands out. Rubio is a “hawk” known for his unconditional support for Israel, as evidenced by his public statements since he became a member of the Senate in 2011, and his membership in the Foreign Relations Committee.

As for the Defense Department, Trump has chosen TV host and former military officer Pete Hegseth, a staunch supporter of right-wing Israeli politics. Hegseth has called for “destroying Gaza,” supported the US assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, and urged the US to directly bomb Iran.

For the position of US ambassador to the United Nations, Trump nominated Elise Stefanik, who is known for her strong support for Israel. She has previously accused the UN of being “steeped in anti-Semitism,” a common charge used by Israeli politicians and their allies to “silence” criticism of Israel’s policies.

Trump also announced the nomination of Mike Huckabee as his country's ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is a prominent supporter of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, an opponent of the two-state solution, and refuses to describe the West Bank as occupied territory.

Among other appointments, Trump nominated businessman Steven Witkoff as Middle East envoy. Witkoff is known for his close ties to Israel and support for its regional positions.

The appointments have sparked a wave of frustration among many Arab and Muslim voters who backed Trump in the November 6 election, hoping he would reverse the approach taken by his predecessor, Joe Biden, toward the region.

They based their decision on Trump's election promises to end conflicts and achieve peace in the Middle East, promises that now seem far-fetched in light of these controversial appointments.

Zionist figures

Commenting on Trump’s appointments, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, head of the Center for Islamic Studies and Global Affairs at Turkey’s Sabahattin Zaim University, said, “Trump’s nominations are dominated by figures with Zionist backgrounds, as achieving Zionist goals is considered a strategic priority that must be implemented.”

Al-Arian explained that “these figures believe that the United States must provide full support to Israel to achieve all its goals. Some of them even belong to what can be described as the new Crusaders, who believe in the theory of the end times wars.”

The term “New Crusaders” is used to refer to figures or movements in the West, often associated with hardline evangelical groups that believe in biblical prophecies related to what are known as “end-times wars,” which they believe will pave the way for the return of Christ and the establishment of his rule on earth.

In this context, the “new Crusaders” adopt absolute support for Israel, as they believe that supporting Israel, including its settlement expansion and control of Jerusalem, is a religious and political duty to fulfill those prophecies.

Al-Arian indicated that Trump may give Israel significant freedom of action before his official inauguration on January 20, but he ruled out that Israel would be able to achieve all of its military goals.

He said: “Accordingly, it is likely that the Trump administration, in cooperation with Israel, will seek to achieve its goals through political settlements rather than entering into a comprehensive war.”

Al-Arian added that "all these plans depend largely on the nature of the expected Iranian response" to the Israeli attack on October 26.

He expected that the Trump administration would send messages urging Iran not to respond militarily to Israel, to open the way for a political settlement in Gaza and Lebanon.

He explained that this is the same approach that the “deceptive” Biden administration took with Iran to disrupt its response (which it carried out early last October) to what it said was Tel Aviv’s assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh while he was in Tehran at the end of July.

Al-Arian expected that Iran would respond, but the question remains about the nature and strength of this response, and whether it would lead to the outbreak of a comprehensive war or not.

He pointed out that "the United States, whether under the Democrats or the Republicans, does not want to engage in a direct confrontation or a comprehensive war in the region with Iran."

Just election promises

Regarding the growing talk about Trump breaking his promises to Arab and Muslim voters to end wars through his nominations for his upcoming administration, Al-Arian said that the matter is related to achieving American and Israeli goals, whether militarily or politically.

“Trump has a domestic political agenda that he seeks to focus on, and therefore he may give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu excessive support until his inauguration or shortly after to achieve his goals. When he fails to achieve these goals, there will be an attempt to stop the war,” he explained.

He pointed out that "the American policy is based on giving the Zionist entity great freedom to strike the resistance, but the entity cannot take a decision of its own free will to confront a country like Iran without the American green light. This is a red line that cannot be crossed."

“Trump’s policies during his first term clearly demonstrated this trend, from moving the US embassy to Jerusalem to cutting aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). These are known hostile steps that serve the Zionist agenda. Therefore, no fundamental changes can be expected from a president who continues this extremist approach,” he added.

He described what Trump promised during his election campaign as “just election promises, which will not have reality on the ground.”

The real confrontation in the field

Regarding the role of the Arabs in confronting these policies, Al-Arian stressed that “the real confrontation is on the ground by the resistance; when Israel fails to achieve its field goals, and when its forces are exhausted, the enemy will be forced to retreat and come down from the tree (give up its rigid positions).”

Al-Arian ruled out the possibility of there being “real pressure” from regional countries on Israel, considering that the greatest impact would come from military and field pressure.

He said: “If Israel is forced to retreat as a result of field losses in Gaza or Lebanon, only then can the war stop and the aggression stop.”

Trump's appointments are no surprise.

For his part, writer and researcher in international affairs, Hossam Shaker, said: “Trump’s appointments should not surprise us, given the nature of his unruly personality and his precedents during his first term.”

He added that the appointments also reflect his “broad alliances with various sectors in the American arena, including real estate interests, businessmen, movements supporting the Israeli occupation, and others with ideological, racist, and opportunistic orientations.”

“Trump relies on a network of interests and supporters who implement his visions in government,” Shaker added. “Therefore, the nature of these appointments did not come as a surprise, although he has the opportunity to choose wiser figures to present to the world. However, what is clear is that he is heading towards appointments that deepen his previous policies.”

He continued: “Some were disappointed by these appointments, but I do not see them as a surprise given the nature of Trump’s personality.”

Regarding Trump’s position on wars, Shaker pointed out that Trump said that if he were in power, the war would not have broken out in Gaza, or in the “Middle East,” as he put it, but that “does not mean that he promised to stop the war on Gaza in fairness to the Palestinian people.”

Shaker pointed out that Israel, in contrast, sees Trump’s term as an opportunity to strengthen its control over the region. He said: “The occupation has relied on the Trump era as a historic opportunity to achieve further settlement expansion, annex the West Bank, and deepen its regional hegemony.”

Consequences of the war on Gaza

Regarding the future of the war on Gaza under the Trump administration, Shaker considered that there is ambiguity surrounding how far the war could go under Trump.

He said, "Trump will remain a figure whose behavior cannot be determined, and I imagine that there is also concern on the part of Benjamin Netanyahu's government about the actual behavior that Trump will take in certain files."

Shaker pointed out that the nature of Trump's personality, and because of his experience with Netanyahu, who was quick to congratulate Biden after his victory in the previous elections, leaves the door open to the possibility of him taking positions that may not completely agree with Israeli desires, especially since he is in his second and final term.

He continued, "But the ideologues he chose (in his administration) are the best ones to represent the interests of the Israeli occupation to the United States, and we must remember that Trump, in his first term, considered Jerusalem the capital of the occupation. This approach will most likely continue, but in what manner and at what pace, this will remain open."

Regarding the Palestinian resistance’s positions on these appointments and the future of the expected escalation, Shaker said: “The Palestinian side, the resistance and its line in general, I imagine that it means a war of extermination witnessed by the Palestinian people, which did not move the Palestinian resistance from its line.”

Regarding the Palestinian resistance's positions on Trump's new appointments and the potential Israeli escalation in light of them, Shaker said that the Palestinian resistance maintained its approach despite the war of extermination waged by Israel in Gaza.

He added: "Trump will not add much in terms of pressure on the resistance other than the fact of waging a war of extermination, assassinations, and starvation in the manner we have witnessed; therefore, I do not expect the Palestinian resistance to change its known positions in this regard."

Interest deals

For his part, Ammar Kahf, director of the Omran Center for Studies, pointed out that “President Trump’s upcoming policy seems clearly transactional, as he deals with each issue separately and relies on deals as a basic approach” to managing international files.

“Trump’s appointments reflect his campaign promises and are a reward for his friends and supporters in the Republican Party, as well as his network of relationships with influential figures who helped bring him to power,” Qahf explained. “These appointments are part of a strategy that seeks to achieve private gains, regardless of the traditional orientations of American foreign policy.”

“While hopes were pinned on Trump’s drive to end foreign wars, his current appointments to his administration suggest that this promise is conditional on a broader strategy to reduce the influence of certain parties without reaching lasting solutions” to existing conflicts, he added.

Qahf pointed out that Trump “seems committed to supporting Israeli trends to a large extent, despite his statements about ending wars.”

He said: "Trump may avoid escalating the situation in Gaza, but he is not expected to change his position in clearly supporting the Israeli positions."

He stressed, "Through these appointments, it appears that Trump is leaning towards temporary stability through deals that serve his interests and those of his Israeli allies, instead of seeking to achieve a permanent and just peace in the Palestinian issue."

He continued: “This approach reflects Trump’s view of the Palestinian issue as a negotiable file based on personal interests, and not as a real political commitment.”

New Arab Approach

Regarding how Arabs can confront these policies, Qahf stressed the importance of Arab countries adopting a flexible approach based on redistributing their interests towards the East, which enhances their political and economic balance and enables them to achieve greater influence in negotiations with the next US administration.

He added: “With the United States seeking to reduce Iranian influence, Arab countries can take advantage of this moment to coordinate their positions.

The Turkish position today is more ready to negotiate with the United States, which opens the way for regional alliances capable of influencing American decision-making.”

“Unlike the Biden administration, Trump seems more serious about striking deals that promote relative stability that serves his political and personal legacy and achieves economic gains for him and his partners,” Qahf concluded. “This approach may provide an opportunity for Arab countries to benefit from these deals for their regional interests, provided they negotiate intelligently and realistically.”