Even within the US’ long history of making and then breaking commitments, this century’s record of American policy in the Middle East is extraordinary. Dramatic policy shifts, broken treaties, promises made and forgotten, foolish wars, and shattering of international law and conventions – all have done substantial damage to the region and the trust extended to the US.
Republicans and Democrats conveniently point the finger at each other for America’s loss of standing in the world. In reality, this century’s administrations can share in the blame. President George W Bush started disastrous wars and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, but Presidents Barack Obama and Joseph Biden ended both badly, compounding the damage. While Bush flaunted international law and conventions around torture, rendition and extra-judicial targeted killings, Obama further undermined the US commitment to the rule of law by refusing to ensure accountability for these crimes.
Biden waxed eloquent defending the ‘international rules-based order’, but undercut himself because his commitment was selective – applying to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but not Israel’s genocidal policies in Palestine.
No administration this century has taken the firm measures needed to curb Israeli behaviours in the occupied Palestinian territories or in Lebanon and now Syria. The impact is clear: Israel acts with impunity, Palestinians have lost hope, and the region’s people don’t believe that the US can be constructive in peacemaking.
President Donald Trump, since returning to power in 2025, has pounded the final nail in the coffin of trust for American leadership in the Middle East.
While Biden secured passage of a ceasefire for Gaza in the UN Security Council – claiming that Israel approved it, knowing that it hadn’t – Trump has taken dissembling even further. With great fanfare he assembled leaders to celebrate his 20-point peace plan to end the Gaza conflict, though neither Hamas nor Israel had agreed to its terms. And Trump’s boastful handling of his war with Iran has reached new levels of absurdity – announcing at least 42 times that the war was over, he’d won, or Iran was begging to negotiate on his terms, only to later pivot, threatening to obliterate Iran unless it surrenders.
Added to this mess are: thousands of Lebanese killed and scores of villages destroyed by Israel since the Trump-backed ceasefire; displacement and frightening violence of Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank; continuing genocide in Gaza; and insecurity in the Arab Gulf States housing US bases with reckless attacks by Iranian missiles and drones. No wonder that Arabs have lost faith in the US’ commitment to regional peace and security and its trustworthiness as an ally.
A problem this big can’t be fixed by one US election. After decades of wars based on lies, international laws and conventions violated, and now an impulsive administration acting like words have no meaning – trust has been lost.
After the disastrous Bush administration, President Obama delivered a speech in Cairo designed to open a new chapter in US relations with the region. After seven years without decisive follow-through on the promises of his Cairo address, in an interview with The Atlantic Magazine, Obama blamed the Arabs for not doing enough. When I asked him about this, he said that the Arabs’ expectations had been too high. I responded that he’d set the high expectations and made promises to ‘change Washington, change America, and change the world’. “Don’t blame them,” I said, “for believing you.”
Now the Arab world clearly isn’t believing US promises – or our words. They are finding their way in a post-US world order by creating new alliances, finding new partners, and putting their own interests first. For the US to have a place in this new order, we’ll need more than just a new president promising change. A thoughtful examination of decades of shortcomings and betrayals must lead to new policies towards justice for Palestinians and regional partnerships and security. A demonstrated and sustained commitment to implement a changed approach to the multiple crises we’ve created or exacerbated across the region must follow. Since it took us a generation to dig deep holes for ourselves in the Arab world, getting out won’t be quick or easy. Restoring trust will take time and hard work.
Dr James Zogby
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