Still Time, but Not Much, For Biden to Have Mideast Success

I really wanted U.S. President Joe Biden’s trip to the Middle East to be a success.

Of course, what I consider to be a success and what the administration considers success are nowhere near similar. We have two completely different sets of goals and two completely different assessments for success.

Frankly, I wish they would listen to me.

For my part, I was hoping two things would happen. If they did, the end result would be a less volatile Middle East and the world would be taking a giant step back from the brink. A more normal, less intense and fragile world order would be in place.Biden’s two main objectives during his firs

Call me a dreamer — it didn’t happen yet, but maybe it still will. It would have been so easy. It was so obvious.

Biden’s two main objectives during his first trip to the Middle East as president should have been:  

No. 1 Reestablishing the United States as the most dominant, significant player in the region

No. 2 Convincing regional players that U.S. involvement would instill a sense of regional stability

Those objectives should have been his mantra, repeated over and over and over again throughout the trip — in every meeting, at every opportunity, behind closed doors and in front of cameras and microphones.

All the rest would have been commentary. All activity should be directed at securing those two objectives.

Israel understands. They know what Biden could have done, what the U..S president and his team could have accomplished. The Israelis made their point simply and clearly and often.

And it was: Diplomacy is only effective when accompanied by the serious threat of a military strike. That’s right — a serious threat. Not hyperbole. Not diplomatic doublespeak,

The interests of the United States and Israel’s safety and security will be greatly improved if only these two objectives are achieved. There’s still time — it’s not yet a lost or hopeless cause. But not too much time.

If the United States does not reestablish itself as the dominant force in the Middle East, Iran and Russia will. They have already set the stage and made inroads. And none of that bodes well for the free world.

Iran and Russian are actual and very real threats to the region.

We already see how their respective influences have contributed to a far less stable region. Russia, but especially Iran, poke and prod Israel in the hope of provoking Jerusalem to respond.

And the only thing, yes, the only thing a response will accomplish is a larger, more far-reaching regional crisis. Hezbollah/Iran recently sent three drones to Israel’s Mediterranean gas rig.

The best way for the United States to achieve these goals is be perceived by regional leaders and by extension by leaders throughout the world, as the leader of the world.

Just as it once was.

President Biden needs to unite the region against Iran’s race toward nuclear technology and weapons. President Biden needs to utilize Israel as a bullwork to help the region technologically and defensively. It is no small task — but neither is it an impossible task.

Joe Biden and the country he represents are perceived — across the board, as extremely weak. Israeli leadership and Arab leadership see Biden as big on talk and very skimpy on deeds and followthrough.

Israeli leaders — from the prime minister to the defense minister to the president to the head of the opposition all repeated the very same line: “Diplomacy with Iran will not work without a credible military threat.” In plain English, Iran must believe that the United States will actually act and actually strike — not just intensify sanctions.

Especially when it comes to energy. Everyone knows why Biden went to the Middle East. It was not to solve the Palestinian issue. It’s about energy, energy, energy.

Domestically, Biden botched his opportunities. Internationally, he still has a chance. For that, the region and the world need to perceive him as a unifying force against evil Iran and evil Russia.

The Abraham Accords is the perfect vehicle for the United States to unite the region against Iran and Iranian proxies like Syria and Hezbollah. A significant first step has already been taken.

The United States helped secure an agreement that allows the Israeli Airline, EL AL, to fly over Saudi Arabia enroute to Asia. And they are working on direct flights — just like the flight President Biden took from Israel to Saudi Arabia — allowing Muslim pilgrims to travel from Israel to Mecca for the annual Haj.

These aren’t small steps. They are first steps.

There is still a chance to make the world safer. But Biden needs step up and lead.