Biden or Trump?

The recent acts of racial violence play to Donald Trump’s advantage in the election. The entire affair is not so much social justice and racial division as it is chaos and lack of security. The result is that most American voters are seeking someone who will strengthen institutions and the police, and Trump represents this for them. Trump’s advisers brazenly affirm that the rioting has increased Trump’s popularity and put them in a better position ahead of the election. Biden, on the other hand, touts unifying the American people and speaks of social justice and institutional racism, although he has tried to distance himself from acts of violence. He condemns violence, saying that looting and chaos are neither forms of protest nor are they within the rights of protesters. He wants to escape the vortex of violence by means of a social solution, not via the iron fist of the police. He seeks to unite America and bandage its wounds, but this does not seem beneficial to his campaign.

For these reasons, the domestic violence America has experienced has become an important factor in the election. Most Americans seem to prefer a strict, powerful president who can deal with violence, especially since recent events have gone beyond the realm of protest and sown chaos and looting. That is how Americans see it. But for people who are not American, especially for us in the Middle East, the picture is entirely unclear, since both candidates are positive in some areas and negative in others. Trump has been the president most biased against Palestine, giving Israel everything it wants without regard for Palestinian rights. He recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and authorized Israeli settlements, which are unlawful under international law. But Trump was decisive and powerful in dealing with Iran, imposing harsh sanctions that have begun to bear fruit, curtailing Iran’s influence and its machinations in the Middle East, which have become fundamental causes of regional instability.

On the other hand, it is expected that Biden will be soft on Iran; he will believe their lies and could even reinstate the treaty from which Trump withdrew. This would be disastrous for the Gulf states, which suffer from Iran’s destabilizing meddling on a daily basis. However, Biden will be more just toward Palestinians, based on his record and his public positions. He strongly believes in a two-state solution, and he will not seek to appease the right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu, given their history of mutual distrust. As such, Biden is expected to adopt a style similar to Barack Obama’s or Bill Clinton’s in dealing with the conflict, and he will pursue a two-state solution that abides by U.N. Security Council resolutions.

These are two murky choices for us in the Middle East. From each country’s perspective, there are different pros and cons with respect to both candidates. What is certain in any case is that we must reckon with the reality of American withdrawal from the Middle East, regardless of whether the president is Republican or Democrat. It would be best for regional powers to set aside their differences and cooperate to solve the region’s challenges and ensure its stability.