Can The Trump-Kushner Mideast Policy Survive Mohammed Bin Salman?
"It was a great day.” Received like royalty in the spring of 2017, Donald Trump was gushing on the first foreign destination of his presidency: Saudi Arabia. He had pledged new, warmer relations with the kingdom after the relative coolness of the Obama era, and, surrounded by opulence, he heralded a new “strategic vision,” one that would mean “tremendous investments in the United States” and a key partner in Middle East peace.
Beaming and giving high fives was Jared Kushner, Trump’s sonin-law and senior adviser, who had spent months cultivating a close relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the then-31-year-old who billed himself as a reformer ready to usher in a new era for the conservative kingdom he was entrusted to run. For the U.S., the alliance was a big bet: Saudi Arabia was unpopular at home and abroad, with the international community favoring Barack Obama’s overture toward Iran and the 2015 nuclear deal he made with it. Kushner argued that reversing course and embracing the kingdom was worth the risk. The young royal would be their man in the Middle East when it came time to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians, using his country’s regional sway to pressure Arab allies into supporting a U.S.-made deal.
So in May 2017, members of Trump’s Cabinet hoisted ceremonial swords, linked arms with Saudis and chanted to drums.
This story is from the November 09, 2018 edition of Newsweek.
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This story is from the November 09, 2018 edition of Newsweek.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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