Matthew
Continetti sees signs of foreign policy sanity breaking out in the Democratic party:
The irony is that Trump's opponents are ready to accept this "very positive thing" despite warning against and objecting to the policies that contributed to it. Through his personal relationship with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump reaffirmed that there is "no daylight" between the United States and Israel after an eight-year caesura. He defied conventional wisdom when he moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, when he withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, when he cut off aid to the Palestinians, when he recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and when he ordered the lethal strike against Qassem Soleimani. But the catastrophes that the foreign policy establishment predicted would follow each of these measures never materialized. What emerged instead were the Abraham Accords and a growing alliance against Iran.
It is in the realm of foreign policy that Trump's deviations from political norms have had the most positive and irreversible consequences. If he becomes president, Joe Biden may mistakenly try to revive the chances for Palestinian statehood by getting tough on the Israelis. He may attempt to resuscitate the moribund Iran deal. But it is highly doubtful that he will rescind the Abraham Accords, or withdraw recognition of Israel's Golan sovereignty, or return the U.S. embassy to Tel Aviv. He won't have the support for such decisions. And he won't have any good reason to make them. Anyone who has read the news lately understands that a strong and engaged Israel is good for security. Her enemies are our enemies.
I doubt his conclusion about a Biden administration. My prediction is that Pelosi would wait for Biden to go down for his nap, send a boatload of aid to Iran's nuclear program, then find an open bomb salon that could outfit her with a Palestinian suicide vest.
For and example of Democrat sanity, for once, on foreign policy, consider Senator Chris Murphy's (D-CT) support of Trump's recent diplomatic moves in the Middle East. This is surprising, considering Senator Murphy's history of condemning Trump's acts in the Middle East.Sen. Chris Murphy condemns Soleimani airstrike days after claiming 'no one fears' US during embassy assault
ReplyDeleteSenator Murphy (D-CT) condemned Trump for being weak
"The attack on our embassy in Baghdad is horrifying but predictable," Murphy tweeted. "Trump has rendered America impotent in the Middle East. No one fears us, no one listens to us. America has been reduced to huddling in safe rooms, hoping the bad guys will go away. What a disgrace."
Several days later, after the airstrike that killed Soleimani , Senator Murphy condemned Trump for being a reckless warmonger.
"Soleimani was an enemy of the United States. That’s not a question. The question is this - as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?" Murphy tweeted.
(A good reason for Trump's not seeking congressional authorization was the fear of leaks. As Murphy later met with Iran's foreign minister, the fear of leaks was quite justified.)
Yet Senator Murphy, who had damned Trump for what he did and didn't do in the Middle East, supported Trump's diplomatic initiative with Israel and the UAE.The UAE-Israel deal is Trump's first real foreign policy success, experts say
"Normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is a historic step that will enhance the security and economic interests of both countries," said Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who has frequently blasted Trump's foreign policy and accused him of taking the country to the brink of war with Iran. "This breakthrough is a powerful example of how diplomacy can bridge historic divides and advance the United States' interests."
Perhaps Senator Murphy supported this move because it was diplomatic. I wonder what Senator Murphy's reaction was to Trumps diplomatic move of our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.