Al Shindagah

POLITICS 4 | Al Shindagah | Issue 139 hrough his own actions, United States President Donald Trump has diminished his status as Leader of the Free World and eliminated himself as an honest broker. America’s allies and adversaries are appalled by his decision to throw a grenade into the Middle East by unilaterally declaring Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish State. The special relationship between the United Kingdom and America is in jeopardy. Furious parliamentarians are calling for the US President to be banned from visiting Britain. In an unprecedented move, the UK, France and Italy joined with five other countries to demand an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to air their condemnations. However, there will be no UN Resolution due to America’s power of veto. Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel dispensed with diplomatic norms saying ‘The US no longer sees the world as a global community, but as a fighting arena where everyone has to seek their own advantage’. ‘Even after Trump leaves the White House relations with the US will never be the same,’ he added. This reckless act by a dangerous/ self-absorbed individual has killed all hopes of peace. His motivation was either to pacify his right-wing pro-Israel base with his plunging approval ratings in mind or was designed to provoke violent reactions within our region to justify his anti-Muslim policies. Hamas has called for a third Palestinian uprising. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to meet with Vice President Mike Pence who will shortly be dispatched to the region to undertake damage control. Worse, his declaration has fed into the narrative of extremist groups. Al Qaeda, Al-Shabab, the Taliban and others have made calls to arms. Trump’s loyalties do not lie with America’s interests or with Israel’s. In fact, he has made the world a far more dangerous place for Israeli and American travellers by putting targets on their heads. His gross provocation is a gift to terrorist recruiters and could spark lone wolf attacks in Western and Arab cities. He is aware of the potential repercussions which is why he has ordered US Marines to guard embassies and the US Department of State has advised Americans in the Middle East to keep a low profile. Trump is a ‘me-me’ man who uses every speech to trumpet his own achievements, both real and imaginary, or to disparage his presidential rival Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with whom he harbours a weird vendetta-like obsession. It was a populist wave that swept this underqualified president to power, giving him free reign on not only his country, but the entire world. Initially his candidacy was written- off as a joke. Voters tired of political dinosaurs cast their ballots in his favour despite his often racist statements, disreputable behaviour towards women and acclaim from white supremacist groups. Disappointed in former US President Barack Obama’s pro-Iran stance and his affiliation with the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood, before I discovered T dangerous policies imperil our world Trump’s ©APImages Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor • Published in the media on 10 December 2017