Latest news with #DONALDTRUMP
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Corrupter-in-Chief
WHEN DONALD TRUMP TRIED to stay in power after losing the 2020 presidential election, he lacked one crucial asset: the military. The armed forces stayed out of the fight, putting loyalty to the Constitution above loyalty to the president. In his second term, Trump is working to rectify that mistake. He's not just purging generals and installing his own loyalists. He's also encouraging rank-and-file service members to side with him against anyone who stands in his way, including the courts. Two weeks ago, Trump spoke to American troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Not once did he thank them for serving the United States. Instead, he thanked them for supporting him politically. 'Nobody [has] been stronger than the military in terms of backing us' in 'three unbelievable campaigns,' he boasted. 'I just want to thank you all very much.' Trump did acknowledge one service member for an act of bravery. The hero, he explained, was an Air Force Reserve master sergeant who 'attended the rally where an assassin tried to take my life' and 'raced to direct law enforcement toward the sniper's perch.' This noble deed—attending a Trump rally and protecting Trump—was the only physical act for which Trump thanked anyone in uniform. The president joked that one of the military's new planes was a tribute to him. 'Our air force will soon have the world's first and only sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47,' he noted. 'Why did they name it 47?' he asked, smirking. 'That was a nice thing.' Share Trump also joked about running for a third term. 'We'll have to think about that,' he told the troops. He explained to them, in the manner of a bro soliciting laughter from his buddies, why he loved to talk about running again: 'We're driving the left crazy.' This dig at the American left was an implicit move to enlist service members in domestic politics, even—in the case of a proposed third term—to the point of defying the Constitution. And in case the troops weren't clear about whom they should regard as the enemy, Trump added that Joe Biden and his administration were 'evil, bad people.' Trump even claimed that 'we won three elections,' including his defeat in 2020. This was a blunt, false allegation that Democrats had stolen that election—the only recent presidential contest they had officially won—and a signal that if Republicans were to lose the next election, the military should view the outcome as fraudulent. All this he said openly on a U.S. military base in front of uniformed service members who had sworn to 'support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.' Keep up with all our articles, newsletters, podcasts, and livestreams—and decide which ones show up in your inbox: LAST FRIDAY, A WEEK AFTER his speech in Qatar, Trump announced plans for a military parade in Washington, D.C. On Truth Social, he declared, 'We will be hosting a magnificent Parade to honor the United States Army's 250th Birthday, on Saturday, June 14th.' But that wasn't the only reason he gave for picking June 14. 'It's Flag Day,' he explained in a May 2 interview on Meet the Press. And also: 'My birthday happens to be on Flag Day.' Then, on Saturday, Trump gave a commencement address at West Point. He told the graduating cadets that 'the military's job' was not 'to spread democracy to everybody around the world.' What was the military's job? On Meet the Press, he discussed two possible targets: Canada and Greenland. Kristen Welker: Would you rule out military force to take Canada? Trump: Well, I think we're not going to ever get to that point. It could happen. Something could happen with Greenland. . . . Welker: You are not ruling out military force to take Greenland one day? Trump: I don't rule it out. I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything. No, not there. We need Greenland very badly. But Trump's principal focus was at home. He invited the West Point graduates, like the troops in Qatar, to view his domestic opponents as an adversary. 'They don't like using the word 'liberal' anymore,' he told the cadets. 'That's why I call them liberal.' Henceforth, said the president, a 'central purpose of our military' would be to 'protect our own borders' by fighting illegal immigration. 'On Day One, I deployed our military to the southern border,' he observed. That deployment has run into trouble in the courts. The Posse Comitatus Act, for example, forbids any use of the armed forces to conduct arrests on American soil unless it's 'expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress.' But Trump had an answer to any judge who stood in his way. 'Hopefully, the courts will allow us to continue,' he told the cadets. The courts should yield to him, he explained, because 'we won the popular vote by millions of votes. . . . We had a great mandate, and it gives us the right to do what we want to do to make our country great again.' The right to do what we want to do. That sounded like an invitation to stand with Trump in any confrontation with the judiciary. And if the military were to stand with Trump, the courts would be powerless. JD Vance made that point to Trump in a podcast four years ago: 'When the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did, and say, 'The chief justice has made his ruling. Now let him enforce it.'' Share ON MONDAY, AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Trump addressed a military audience one more time. In the annual presidential speech honoring Memorial Day, he thanked God not for protecting America but for engineering Trump's political comeback. 'Look what I have. I have everything,' Trump told the crowd. It's 'amazing the way things work out. God did that.' As Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others in the audience applauded, the president repeated: 'God did it.' Maybe, in the end, Trump won't run for a third term. Or if he runs and loses, maybe he'll acknowledge defeat. Or if he wins, but the Supreme Court says a third term is unconstitutional, maybe he'll accept that ruling. But if he doesn't acknowledge defeat—or if he doesn't accept the Court's decision—who's going to stop him? Join now
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Does Trump Want to Be the President Who Lost Ukraine?
DONALD TRUMP HATES NOTHING more than a 'loser.' To him, losing is shameful and the worst insult he can imagine. But he could end up being tagged as a loser for the way he has abandoned more than three decades of U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty. He is walking away from a tougher European sanctions package that he essentially encouraged, and is now telling Russia and Ukraine they need to work it out themselves. As he well knows, Russia doesn't want a ceasefire or to compromise any of its ill-gotten gains. Almost as shameful, eighty senators are co-sponsoring a strong, veto-proof bill introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham to impose secondary sanctions on entities that enable Russia's flagrant violations of international law in Ukraine. But Graham's bill isn't moving. It's reasonable to believe it's being held in reserve to provide political cover, which allows senators to say they are tough on Russia and supportive of Ukraine while avoiding any pressure on the president. Hypocrisy, sadly, remains a cornerstone of Senate business. For more than three decades, through administrations of both parties, the United States has affirmed Ukraine's sovereignty. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum, signed by President Clinton along with the United Kingdom and Russia, committed the United States to uphold Ukraine's territorial integrity in exchange for its surrender of nuclear weapons. Now President Trump is apparently growing frustrated with the war in Ukraine and considering washing America's hands of it altogether. When the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, many observers warned that the chaotic exit damaged America's credibility and weakened its global standing. That moment is now etched into President Biden's legacy. If President Trump were to withdraw U.S. support from Ukraine too abruptly, he could face a similar judgment. Would he lose Taiwan next? Get the best coverage of politics and policy available anywhere. Become a Bulwark+ member. Some argue that stepping back is a way to avoid escalation, and that Trump is actually protecting Europe and the West. But we have heard this before. In 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from meeting Hitler in Munich declaring 'peace for our time.' That short-term concession did not prevent war. It only delayed it. President Zelensky warned against repeating that history in his 2022 remarks at the Munich Security Conference. He urged the West not to appease aggression. That warning now seems more urgent than ever. A recalibration of America's role in the war is possible, and even reasonable. Ukraine is far more resilient than it was in 2022, with a stronger domestic arms industry and deeper ties to Europe. But a precipitous American exit—especially one that halts intelligence cooperation or the flow of critical weapons—would affirm for Putin that time is on his side. It could fracture Ukraine's battlefield cohesion, strain European supply chains, and open the door to renewed Russian advances both in Ukraine and elsewhere. Despite Putin's overtures to Trump, Russia's objectives remain unchanged. Moscow continues to occupy Ukrainian territory, target civilian infrastructure, and destabilize the broader European security order. Just as it did in Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin seeks to redraw borders through force. Others, including Beijing, are watching to see whether they succeed. Putin has also made clear that his ambitions extend beyond Ukraine, including a rollback of NATO's presence in Eastern Europe. A failed Ukrainian defense could encourage him to test NATO's Article 5 commitments, especially in the Baltic states. Preventing that scenario now, through sustained support for Ukraine, is far less costly than confronting it later with American troops on the ground. As someone who recently discovered Ukrainian roots in my own family, I feel a deeper connection to the courage of Ukraine's people. Their strength lies not only in their weapons, but in their will. They have not asked the United States to fight for them—only to stand with them. They have borne immense casualties, held the line for Europe, and proven their resolve beyond doubt. President Trump often speaks the language of power. Lasting power is measured not in threats or slogans, but in the consistency of our commitments and the clarity of our values. Standing with European allies who have shown a willingness to engage with his administration and who still believe in American leadership is not weakness, it is the foundation of deterrence. Showing leadership and resolve now is the surest way to avoid being remembered as a loser. Share
Politico
21-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
Tariff tally
Presented by Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Canada Playbook | Follow Politico Canada Thanks for reading Canada Playbook. In today's edition: → Canadian importers are still paying tariffs. → G7 finance ministers and central bankers meet in Banff. → Plus, a little spilled tea on the royal visit to Ottawa. Trade war TARIFFS: STILL A THING — A major adjustment to retaliatory tariffs announced in the middle of an election campaign fought over DONALD TRUMP's trade war was bound to turn some heads. — Origin story: A report from Oxford Economics created a hubbub by claiming federal relief announced in April reduced the impact of tariffs on U.S.-sourced goods to 'nearly zero.' Bloomberg ran with the story, which spread quickly. — Political fallout: Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE recently insisted in a widely viewed X post that PM MARK CARNEY 'quietly dropped' tariffs 'without telling anyone.' On April 16, Carney's Cabinet did approve six-month tariff relief for goods 'used in Canadian manufacturing, processing and food and beverage packaging, and for those used to support public health, health care, public safety, and national security objectives.' Automakers also scored limited exemptions. Eventually, those measures were published in the Canada Gazette on May 7. The government announced it all publicly — though admittedly tucked deep into federal websites untrawled by most Canadians. — The official word: In response to the swirl of claims, Finance Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE insisted that retaliatory tariffs on 70 percent of end-use goods are still in place. The total revenue haul for those tariffs remains unclear. — On the ground: But Canadian importers are still paying tariffs. Just ask them — or, say, a lawyer who helps them keep up with all the uncertainty. Here's WILLIAM PELLERIN, a partner in McMillan's international trade group: 'The assertion that Canada's retaliatory tariffs have 'nearly zero' impact does not reflect the experience of many of our clients, who continue to incur substantial tariff costs, with real-world impacts on prices, customer relationships, jobs and investments,' Pellerin told us. → Tariffs are still in effect, Pellerin said, on nearly all HVAC equipment and hot-water tanks; plumbing equipment and fixtures; sinks and showers; clothing and apparel; tires for off-road equipment (used in mining and industrial vehicles); hardwood and other wood products; overhead transmission lines; and nearly all steel and aluminum products. Pellerin served up a hypothetical: 'Picture a company building a factory here in Canada: just about any U.S.-origin material sourced to build that facility (including equipment purchased, designed and engineered long before President Trump was elected, but being delivered now), would be subject to tariffs.' — Budget lines: The Liberal platform booked C$20 billion in tariff revenue in 2025-26 — a key piece of the fiscal picture the party pitched on the campaign trail. It's unclear where that revenue expectation will end up by the time Champagne unveils his first budget this fall. → All we know for now: The final tally will be greater than zero. Where the leaders are — Prime Minister MARK CARNEY will hold a media availability at 6 p.m. following his 'Cabinet Policy Forum.' DULY NOTED — The Canadian Global Affairs Institute hosts Trade Conference 2025 in Ottawa. We're watching a morning panel devoted to 'renegotiating CUSMA from a place of strength.' — ANDREW COYNE launches his new book, 'The Crisis of Canadian Democracy,' at the Métropolitain at 7 p.m. DRIVING THE DAY G7 FINANCE — This morning in Banff, Finance Minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE and Bank of Canada Governor TIFF MACKLEM will convene their G7 counterparts for eight closed-door sessions on the global economy. The weight of the world awaits. — Sanctions on Russia: Champagne got the ball rolling Tuesday evening with a joint presser alongside Ukraine Finance Minister SERGII MARCHENKO. Earlier, finance department officials who briefed journalists said mobilizing the private sector to help Ukraine's reconstruction will be discussed today at a separate panel. — U.S. participation: Expect Champagne to have a pull aside with U.S. Treasury Secretary SCOTT BESSENT — just don't expect any tariff announcements, POLITICO's VICTORIA GUIDA reports. → Diplomatic language: 'There was always tension around tariffs, as you would expect. But at the same time, there's a lot we can achieve together,' Champagne said Tuesday evening. — Federal budget: Champagne was pressed on what would be in his first budget, expected in the fall — and why he's waiting so long to unveil a fiscal plan. 'There's the NATO summit that is going to come in June that's going to have an impact on defense investments. There's going to be the review of spending and efficiency of the Canadian government,' Champagne said. 'We'll have a better sense of the global macroeconomic picture by then.' — From the officials: None of the weighty-sounding titles of today's sessions contain the words 'tariff' or 'China' or 'sanctions,' though all of that will be discussed. An opening discussion will cover the 'global economy,' followed by a panel on 'economic resilience and security,' and others on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. → Tariffs are not officially on the agenda. They will be 'embedded' in a session where there's 'hope' the G7 will express a firm shared belief in the importance of a well functioning international trade investment system, said an official. → China is part of a session on 'conflict, security and resilience.' Ministers will discuss non-market policies and practices, said a Canadian official. They'll be looking to 'level the playing field' for key sectors that face unfair competition. Full stop. TALK OF THE TOWN SOVEREIGNTY FLEX — Prime Minister MARK CARNEY is set to put on a spectacle when KING CHARLES III and QUEEN CAMILLA arrive in Ottawa. 'This is a historic honor which matches the weight of our times,' Carney said when he first announced that he'd invited the king to deliver the throne speech on May 27. The two-day visit will demonstrate that Canada is a sovereign nation, Heritage officials said Wednesday in a media briefing. Since returning to the White House, DONALD TRUMP has made repeated references to Canada becoming the 51st state. Next week's ceremony is likely to catch the attention of the U.S. president, who is known for his love of pomp and grandeur and for having an affinity for the royals. Even the U.K. has rolled out the king to butter up Trump. — Details, details: When the royals land in Ottawa, Camilla will be presented with a bouquet of red and white roses. And a Canadian Armed Forces band will play as the royals are greeted by 25 members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, the senior armoured regiment of the Canadian Army that boasts the king as colonel-in-chief. The king will receive full military honors, and Camilla will be sworn in as a member of the Privy Council — giving her authority to advise the king in his role as Canada's monarch. — Public displays of affection: Canadians will have several opportunities to see the royals in action. The king is scheduled to drop the puck in a street hockey game at Lansdowne Park's Aberdeen Plaza on Monday. On Tuesday, the royals will parade down Wellington Street in Canada's state landau, drawn by horses of the RCMP's Musical Ride. They'll be escorted by 28 RCMP — 14 in the front, 14 in the back. The official visit will close at the National War Memorial, a monument that was dedicated in 1939 by the king's grandfather, KING GEORGE VI. A final royal salute and a flypast by the Royal Canadian Air Force will cap the visit. Public events are here. — VIP: 470 people have been invited to the Senate chamber to watch the speech — a guest list that includes former governors general, prime ministers, Supreme Court justices and lieutenant governors. — Awkward: The king will later meet with 50 MPs in the Senate. Since Conservative Leader PIERRE POILIEVRE is not an MP, his role that day is unclear. The Conservative Party has not replied to our request for details. Bloc Québécois Leader YVES-FRANÇOIS BLANCHET is expected to boycott the throne speech, saying he will read it instead. The separatist party opposes the monarchy. — Travel buddies: The king and queen will be accompanied by two officers of the British royal household, plus a Canadian doctor — in case of an emergency. MORNING MUST-CLICKS — The Canadian Press reports: Western premiers meet in Yellowknife to talk trade, energy and Arctic security. — KARL SALGO, executive adviser at the Ottawa-based Institute on Governance, considers the context of the PM's promised program review. — On the latest 'Alberta Unbound' pod, Sen. PAULA SIMONS breaks down the federal election results — and the apparent uptick in separatist sentiment — with SHANNON PHILLIPS, KEN BOESSENKOOL and ANNE MCLELLAN. — Three books on JOE BIDEN's presidency jointly paint a devastating portrait of an ailing, geriatric leader surrounded by mendacious aides and grasping family members, JAMES KIRCHICK writes in POLITICO Magazine. — PM Carney may be banking on an upswell of patriotism to bolster support for large infrastructure projects — but it won't be easy, JACOB KATES ROSE writes at The Bell. — Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU lashed out at the leaders of France, the U.K. and Canada after they threatened 'targeted sanctions' over Israel's renewed military offensive in Gaza. POLITICO's SEB STARCEVIC has the latest. PROZONE Check out our latest Pro PM Canada subscriber newsletter. Other headlines for Pro subscribers: — Greens sue to block Trump approval for deepwater LNG project. — Germany's Pistorius signals openness to 5 percent defense spending. — France barred Telegram founder Pavel Durov from traveling to US. — CalRecycle loosens plastic waste reduction rules. — Brussels wants AI chips made in Europe, tech chief says. PLAYBOOKERS Birthdays: HBD to Sen. FABIAN MANNING and former Premier KATHLEEN WYNNE. Also celebrating: Cartoonist GUY BADEAUX, historian JACK GRANATSTEIN, Quebec politician ÉRIC CAIRE (60!), StrategyCorp's JOANNE CHIANELLO and Earnscliffe consultant TOM CHAN. HBD+1 to KATIE DAVEY, chief of staff to New Brunswick Premier SUSAN HOLT. Noted: Canada Post received a strike notice Monday from the union that represents more than 55,000 postal workers. Operations are set to shut down by the end of the week. From CBC News this morning: Canada Post is in trouble. Year-over-year inflation rose 1.7 percent in April, Statistics Canada reported. The Liberal Party announced that its next national convention will go down in Montreal on April 9-11, 2026. Spotted: KING CHARLES III and QUEEN CAMILLA, dropping into Canada House in London on Tuesday to meet with High Commissioner RALPH GOODALE … Conservative MP LAILA GOODRIDGE, flying to Ottawa for the first time as a family of four. Foreign Affairs Minister ANITA ANAND exchanging gifts with U.S. ambassador to Canada PETE HOEKSTRA. Movers and shakers: PIERRE POILIEVRE unveiled a Leader's Economic Growth Council headed up by Calgary MP GREG MCLEAN and co-chaired by Northern Ontario MP GAÉTAN MALETTE and former Nova Scotia MP RICK PERKINS. The Pearson Centre announced new board members: MICHAEL PEARSON, ZITA ASTRAVAS, KATE DALGLEISH, Chief JEFFREY COPENACE, MICHAEL HATCH and DON ABELSON. (The institute is gearing up for its June 11 laureate dinner that honors former Cabmin IRWIN COTLER.) MIKE MCNAIR is president and CEO of the brand-new Arctic Economic Development Corporation. The goal: 'Activate investment, infrastructure and sovereignty in Canada's North.' HAMISH WRIGHT starts a new gig as executive director of transportation and labor policy in Premier DOUG FORD's office. TRIVIA Tuesday's answer: In the 1963 federal election, a virtual tie in the Québec riding of Pontiac—Témiscamingue was decided by the returning officer. Props to MAIA EASTMAN, JOHN PEPPER, SHAUGHN MCARTHUR, KOBY GOTTLIEB, MALCOLM MCKAY and BOB GORDON. Wednesday's question: What brought some 100,000 people to the intersection of Elgin and Wellington streets on this date in 1939? Answers to canadaplaybook@ Writing tomorrow's Playbook: NICK TAYLOR-VAISEY and MICKEY DJURIC.
The Journal
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Trump to meet heads of Arab states today amid controversy over luxury aircraft gift from Qatar
DONALD TRUMP IS set to meet the leader of Syria and the heads of the Gulf states in Riyadh today before travelling to Qatar, where controversy is swirling over the gifting of a luxury aircraft. The US president was set to 'say hello' to Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa during his last day in Riyadh, after vowing to remove sanctions against the war-ravaged country. 'I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,' Trump said during a speech at an investment forum in the Saudi capital. 'What I do for the crown prince,' he added, before being joined on stage by Saudi Arabia's de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman, who along with Turkey has backed the Sunni Islamists who toppled Bashar al-Assad in December. The move comes despite misgivings about the direction of Syria from US ally Israel, which has unleashed military strikes on its neighbour both before and after the fall of Assad, an Iranian ally. Trump will also meet with leaders and representatives from the six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. The diplomatic sitdowns followed a day dedicated to sealing billions of dollars in commercial agreements, with the United States and Saudi Arabia signing a raft of deals involving energy, AI, weapons and tech. The White House said that Riyadh would purchase nearly $142 billion in arms in what it described as the largest-ever weapons deal. Washington said that Saudi company DataVolt was set to pour $20 billion in artificial intelligence-related projects in the United States. Tech companies including Google will also invest in both countries – likely welcome news for Saudi Arabia which has long faced restrictions securing advanced American technology. Advertisement Qatar controversy Trump is set to head to Doha around midday. The tiny Gulf country that is home to a sprawling US air base has also served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas on ending the devastating war in Gaza. But the stop has largely been muddled by controversy following news that Trump planned on accepting a $400 million luxury plane as a gift from Qatar. The Boeing airplane would serve as a new, more modern presidential jet and then be put to Trump's personal use once he leaves the White House. The move raises huge constitutional and ethical questions – as well as security concerns about using an aircraft donated by a foreign power as the ultra-sensitive Air Force One. Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, yesterda vowed to hold up all Justice Department political appointees in protest over the move. The visit to Qatar comes just days after Washington negotiated directly with Hamas to secure the release of a hostage with US citizenship, Edan Alexander. Qatar, alongside Egypt and the United States, hammered out a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that came into effect on 19 January – a day before Trump's inauguration– but failed to end the war. The initial phase of the truce ended in early March, with the two sides unable to chart a path forward. Israel resumed air and ground attacks across the Gaza Strip, blocked aid and pledged to conquer the territory. Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military would enter Gaza 'with full force' in the coming day s, saying: 'There will be no situation where we stop the war.' Trump is set to finish his tour of the Gulf with a final stop in Abu Dhabi later in the week. - © AFP 2025
Arab Times
13-05-2025
- Business
- Arab Times
President Trump: Examine closely what's happening to the Arabs of the Middle East
MR. DONALD TRUMP, welcome to the capital of Gulf and Arab decision-making, Riyadh. The region has a distinct understanding of its historical experiences since 1917; specifically, its partition between Britain and France, and the consequences for its populations. The establishment of the Jewish State exacerbated existing challenges, while the Palestinian issue was exploited by certain factions seeking to destabilize existing regimes in their respective nations. Since 1952, the region has been encountering a period of instability marked by abortive revolutions. These movements, originating in Egypt and extending to other Arab countries, were endorsed by the Soviet Union in its effort to acquire strategically vital maritime routes, which were known as 'warm waters'. The Soviet Union aimed to propagate communist ideology -- overtly and covertly -- to advance Moscow's objectives and ultimately prevail in the Cold War, while Arab nations failed to capitalize on the opportunities for advancement presented since the 1947 partition resolution. Furthermore, certain Arab states imitated the nationalization movement prevalent in socialist bloc countries, without realizing that this action would precipitate a significant conflict that they were ill-equipped to endure. President Jamal Abdul-Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal in 1956 proved insufficient, leading to a tripartite invasion of Egypt by the United Kingdom, France and Israel. The intervention faltered due to the Soviet Union's lack of support. Subsequently, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, acting on the advice of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, leveraged the crisis to reinforce American influence in the Middle East and counteract Soviet ambitions. Consequently, President Eisenhower mandated an immediate cessation of hostilities, threatening US intervention. This ultimatum averted Egypt's potential collapse and precipitated the resignations of British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and French President Guy Mollet. American power became undoubtedly evident, leading Israel to recognize the centrality of Washington's influence, coinciding with the latter's utilization of Jewish financial resources and political leverage in various sectors; including the media, finance, economics and political establishments. Conversely, the Arab nations did not fully utilize their potential to impact the decisions of major powers -- notably the United States -- whose objective since 1953 has been to transform the Middle East, particularly the Arab region, into an industrial and service base while securing consistent oil exports. Prior to 1967, specifically before what is referred to as the 'setback', there existed a potential for Arab nations to engage in negotiations and achieve favorable outcomes had they heeded the advice of Habib Bourguiba. However, Abdul-Nasser instead propagated the aggressive slogan, 'Throw the Jews into the sea,' and the ensuing Six-Day War decisively dispelled these impractical aspirations. At the same time, the Soviet Union passively observed, anticipating a strategic advantage through the Arab states' dependence on their armaments and support, akin to the pursuit of an illusory expectation. Your Excellency, the US President, successive initiatives aimed at establishing peace with Israel -- including the Rogers Plan of 1970, the King Fahad Peace Plan presented at the Fez Arab Summit, and the King Abdullah Plan proposed at the Beirut Summit -- have consistently been met with rejection by Israel. The rejection is predicated on Israel's assessment that Arab states lack significant concessions and its adherence to the Levi Eshkol Doctrine, which states: 'Every 10 years we will be forced to fight so that the Arabs will give up the land they claim and demand new lands that we will occupy.' This doctrine has consistently guided Israeli administrations. Concurrently, Arab actors, particularly leaders of radical organizations and movements rooted in communist and nationalist ideologies, as well as more militant factions, persistently maintained the rhetoric of 'throw the Jews into the sea.' However, their objectives remained unrealized, failing to impede Israel's territorial expansion. Nonetheless, the October 7 events significantly worsened the situation, effectively dispelling the remaining optimism generated by the 'Abraham Accords' and the two-state solution. Divergent perspectives among Arab nations persisted, with 21 distinct viewpoints, each driven by unique motivations and interests. Therefore, a unified position has remained elusive since 1948, and the collective power has not been leveraged for common goals, instead it is being utilized in internal conflicts. Mr. President, during your first visit to the region, specifically to Riyadh, you concluded important political and investment deals and established the principle of a two-state solution through Washington's sponsorship of the 'Abraham Accords'. As for investment contracts, the total amounted to $460 billion and only $13 billion of which was implemented for weapons. This was because the Biden administration worked to obstruct the development of relations between the GCC and the United States, and disrupted these investments. This contributed to the tension between Washington and the Gulf capitals. Today, Your Excellency is currently in the capital of Arab decision-making. During engagements with regional leaders, numerous observations will be on point. Decisions of profound consequence are imperative to uphold the Palestinian cause and preclude its commodification. Moreover, measures must be taken to restrain Tel Aviv, whose military actions you in the recent past characterized as 'savage,' and to advance the 1953 project. As Your Excellency's statements clearly indicate, you seek peace in the world and a Middle East free of crises. Thus, hopes are pinned on the outcomes of the summits and on Your Excellency's expression of your desire for 'zero problems' in the region.
