No region is more vulnerable to the disruptive effects of the “Trump doctrine” than the Middle East. While Barack Obama’s timid policies left the region a mess, his successor has turned it into a powder keg.
TEL AVIV – US President Donald Trump may be mercurial, but he does have a doctrine. As his speech in September at the United Nations General Assembly again confirmed, Trump rejects multilateral institutions and liberal values in favor of the nation-state and power politics. But understanding the “Trump doctrine” – with its support for abandoning America’s longstanding role as a global arbiter – does not make it any less disruptive, especially for the already-unstable Middle East.
TEL AVIV – US President Donald Trump may be mercurial, but he does have a doctrine. As his speech in September at the United Nations General Assembly again confirmed, Trump rejects multilateral institutions and liberal values in favor of the nation-state and power politics. But understanding the “Trump doctrine” – with its support for abandoning America’s longstanding role as a global arbiter – does not make it any less disruptive, especially for the already-unstable Middle East.