Israel is alone, but not abandoned

US President Donald Trump completed his whirlwind three-day tour of the Middle East this week. He visited Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In each place, he signed mega-deals benefiting the host country and US manufacturers.

The tour had been touted as a major US-brokered breakthrough in bringing peace to the region.

Instead, what we are left with is a series of massive bilateral financial and economic deals that will benefit the parties to the transactions for a limited period, but in which Israel has been sidelined.

Over recent weeks, the US has pursued deals in the Middle East without Israel. The US recently agreed a ceasefire with the Houthis, but did not require them to stop attacking Israel. The US even omitted to inform Israel. The US negotiated directly with Hamas (via Qatar) to ensure the release of the US national hostage Edan Alexander; Israel was not included in the negotiations. And the US is pursuing direct negotiations with Iran about its nuclear program, without Israel’s involvement.

Trump seems to think that money can solve all problems, that peace and security are to be achieved by doing business deals with the United States.

Israel is no longer the focus of US Middle East policy. In his first term, Trump’s approach to the region placed Israel in the center. The emphasis was on brokering the Abraham Accords – “normalization” agreements between Israel and Muslim states who previously did not recognize Israel’s existence as a full sovereign state. Under leadership of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Abraham agreements were closed with UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.

“Trump seems to think that money can solve all problems”

This time, Trump chose not to visit Israel. He barely mentioned Israel in his speeches, which were full of gushing praise for the autocratic leaders of these oil-rich countries.

Trump even met with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, describing him as a “young, attractive, tough guy” with a “very strong” past. Trump pledged to work with al Sharaa, and promised to lift US sanctions on Syria. At the same time, his corporation is reportedly negotiating the building of a Trump tower in Damascus.

Trump’s transactional and instrumental approach to international diplomacy, and the comingling of his role as President of the United States – and leader of the free world – with his personal and business interests is alarming, to say the least.

He has even decided to accept a gift of an aircraft from Qatar – notwithstanding the fact that Qatar is the pre-eminent sponsor of Hamas and promotor of Islamist terror.

As Melanie Philips has written: “Qatar represents the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist organization that is intent upon conquering the West for Islam. It is pursuing this aim by turning not just Witkoff but America and Britain into its hopelessly compromised debtors.”

A recent report by the Free Press showed that Qatar has infiltrated the United States, concluding that “Qatar, long a refuge for and a financier of Islamist terrorists, has spent almost $100 billion over the past two decades to influence our schools, our universities, our media, our Congress, and even the White House itself. In return for all that cash, it has won the affection of leading lawmakers, Washington dealmakers, powerful journalists, and White House officials.”

At the same time, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were in Turkey and Israel. Rubio emphasized that the US remains committed to Israel. Witkoff had a two-hour meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and assured him that the US stands with Israel and is seeking to have all hostages freed.

Despite these assurances, the people of Israel can be forgiven for thinking that the US is abandoning them, and that at the end of the day, they are alone in the world.

“we can only rely on ourselves”

Historian and former diplomat Michael Oren recently wrote that Israel’s outsourcing of its security to the US and others since the 1970s has always ended in disaster. He concluded: “we can only rely on ourselves”.

While that sentiment is understandable, it is not true. The Jewish people are called and destined to rely not on themselves, but on God. It is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who has created the nation of Israel. It is God who is bringing them home. And it is God alone who promised to protect and uphold them.

“The Jewish people are called and destined to rely not on themselves, but on God.”

In fact, God warned the people of Israel not to rely on their own strength.

The hatred of the Jewish people – especially those who dare to live in Judea or Samaria, referred to by the derogatory term “settlers” – is irrational. And it seems to be getting worse. This week, a pregnant Jewish woman was murdered in Samaria as she was on her way to give birth. Her child was saved but is in a critical condition. Hatred of Jews in Palestinian society is getting stronger, as it is around the world. The tendency of Western leaders to appease terrorism-sponsoring countries like Iran and Qatar, and their condemnation of Israel’s actions to eradicate Palestinian Islamist terrorism, arguably feeds such radical hatred.

God calls the Jewish people to Himself, and has promised to be their redeemer and protector. In the words of the Psalmist: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121).

It is through His gracious leading and protection of the Jewish people – and His intervention in their hour of need – that God will reveal his glory to the nations. “Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the Lord have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it.’” (Ezekiel 36:24).

Let us thank God for the return of the Jewish people to the land, and continue to pray this week for Israel and for all its people – Jews and non-Jews.
Let us also pray that the Jewish people will place all their trust in God, and that He will pour out His spirit of grace and supplication on the people of Israel and all who live in the land.

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