The Mediterranean Notebooks

This book examines Donald Trump's controversial approach to Arab leaders, employing a coercive strategy that combined intimidation and financial blackmail to secure political compliance. Trump's tactics included stark warnings that Saudi Arabia "would not last a few days" without U.S. protection, whilst pressuring Gulf leaders to provide billions in tribute payments to maintain American favour. This calculated arm-twisting left Arab rulers both fearful and submissive, advancing Trump's Middle Eastern agenda whilst consolidating his power and financial gains.
Trump exploited Arab vulnerabilities, particularly their dependence on U.S. military support, using financial coercion to compel compliance on issues conflicting with traditional Arab positions. The most striking example was his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and the subsequent embassy relocation-moves that betrayed decades of Arab support for Palestinian claims. Despite these provocative actions, Arab leaders' responses remained notably muted, demonstrating Trump's chilling control through fear and leverage.
The book also explores Trump's campaign for Arab-Israeli normalisation, pursued even as Israeli aggression toward Gaza escalated. This normalisation coincided with Netanyahu's continued settlement expansion and brutal Gaza bombardments, met with deafening silence from Arab leaders whose positions Trump had bullied into alignment. His policies advanced a troubling Palestinian vision where displacement and dispossession were tacitly endorsed.
Through critical analysis, the book reveals how Trump's intimidation tactics achieved widespread Arab acquiescence by weaponising financial dependence and fears of regime instability. This resulted in significant political milestones for Trump's alliances whilst leaving the Arab world more divided, its credibility eroded, and the Palestinian cause increasingly abandoned.
The book concludes by exploring three future scenarios: renewed normalisation efforts coupled with entrenched authoritarianism; accelerated Palestinian displacement creating regional instability; and potential geopolitical realignment as disillusioned Arab leaders pivot toward China or Russia for alternative protection. This analytical exploration examines Trump's lasting impact on the Arab world and the shifting political dynamics in a region still recovering from his tenure.