What Common Cause?

President Donald Trump is on an international tour that was kicked off with a visit to Saudi Arabia. It was followed by a trip to Israel, which was subsequently followed by expected mess, confusion, and poor strategic vision. Trump opened his first visit to Israel by saying that he sees growing recognition among Muslim nations that they share a ´common cause´ with Israel in their determination to counter Iranian threats. The opportunity was ripe for a peace deal, he said. Reading this statement could be interpreted in only one of two ways: continued American arrogance and determination to fuel sectarianism, or stupidity. The latter option – as appealing and convincing as it may sound – might not be the sole motor behind the actions and the statements of the American president. His lack of experience is compensated for by the shrewd and wise insights received from veterans in diplomacy - such as Jared Kushner- and therefore, we need not to worry about that.

Now, sectarianism. Trump arrives to a country in which prisoners are on a hunger strike pressing for better conditions, and the situation is alarming. Everyone is at edge until the crisis ends. The enemy, as far as the prisoners and their supporters are concerned, is primarily the Israeli government at the given moment. It is their biggest security threat and sole source of injustice. The Arab world at large is sympathising with these prisoners, and the rhetoric is on the rise. A sensible act would have been for an American president to prioritise this issue as one of the main factors behind the dispute, and address it at this earliest convenience. But no. Let us deepened the sectarian schism that has led to the birth, extension, and radicalisation of groups such as the ISIS. Let us alienate a country that has agreed to a peaceful solution regarding its nuclear activities and offered investment opportunities to the entire world if it were allowed the chance for dignified existence. Let the Houthis and the Salafis quench their thirst for more hatred, sectarianism, prejudice, and extremism.

The number one enemy in the Middle East as far as Muslim nations are concerned is not Iran, Israel, the USA, or any country really. It is the deep-seated and innate fear of the other, and the appealing solutions of annihilation and suppression to face such fears. A ‘common cause’ cannot be unanimous animosity towards an entity, and who it represents. Settling scores by ganging up against an adversary through rhetoric is cowardly and foolish. Trump’s hosts know better, and their lack of response is hopefully attributed to a Middle Eastern common tradition of hospitality – even if Trump is the guest.

Next stop is the Vatican...his trilogy was not lost on anyone.

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