Efraim Inbar
Jerusalem Post, May 15, 2024
“Hamas, an Iranian ally, has a good chance of taking over the state that the Americans are eager to establish within the framework of an anti-Iranian alliance. This state would be a Trojan horse.”
The present American administration sees the war in Gaza as an opportunity to build a regional defence architecture against Iran to increase stability in the region and prevent escalation to a regional war. In its view, Saudi Arabia, after signing a defence treaty with the United States, will develop the military capability to stand up to Iran and will join the Abraham Accords. This, it hopes, will open the way for additional Muslim countries to normalize their relations with Israel.
This is the “sweetener” on offer to Jerusalem, which will have to commit to a path to a Palestinian state, while the Palestinians will have to undertake major political reforms. Approval of a defence treaty needs the support of two-thirds of the Senate, which means that President Joe Biden needs Israel to help him to convince Republican senators to approve the American-Saudi deal. This, in the Biden administration’s view, is the way to prevent Iran from taking over the Middle East.
Unfortunately, some of the assumptions behind this American plan are misplaced and most of Washington’s measures do not serve its goal.
Coalition against Iran