(OPINION) ETH – While most Americans are anxious and concerned about the upcoming election outcome and how it may impact the US, One thing that wasn’t even discussed in the recent Presidential debate by Donald Trump, and former Vice-President Joe Biden was the topic of foreign policy, but it remains one of the most important issues facing voters. in fact, depending on the election outcome, the impact could greatly be felt across the entire middle east.
From Iran to Turkey to Jerusalem, the Middle East is all focused on the Nov. 3rd election to see how the US elections will shape the future of the region. “It’s a fateful election for the Middle East and Israel. Both former Vice-President Biden and the incumbent President Trump have stated what would be their policies for the coming four years. And in certain ways, they differ fundamentally, even radically,” Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the US told CBN News.
Oren stressed that he believes a Biden win would result in his administration reversing certain Trump policies that benefit the nation of Israel. “A Biden presidency would return to both the policies of the Obama administration and the Clinton administration giving precedence to the achievement of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem, east Jerusalem as its capital,” said Oren.
One of the main concerns is how a Biden administration would deal with Iran and the possible resumption of the Iranian nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). “President Obama and his administration viewed the JCPOA as their singular sterling achievement in foreign policy and I think they’ll go to great length to ensure that America returns to that agreement,” Oren claims.
“With respect to Iran, both the former vice-president and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have said unequivocally they intend to renew the nuclear deal of 2015. If Iran returns to the level of uranium enrichment established by that nuclear deal, which is not hard for Iran to do, and that has profound ramifications for Israel and the Middle East. ” Oren told CBN that he believes that President Trump would take a different approach with Iran.
He states: “President Trump has also said he would negotiate with Iranians. But I don’t think he’d quickly remove the sanctions and I don’t think he quickly enables Iran to go back to be the largest state sponsor of terror in the world and seeking Israel’s destruction … It’s a significant, significant difference there,” And then we have the “Abraham Accords”. Oren believes a Biden administration would not “invest in those accords the way the Trump administration has.”
“I don’t think they’re going to invest money for example, in building the Israeli-Sudanese peace because that belongs to the Trump era. Again, the emphasis will be on the Palestinian issue, not on the Abraham Accords.” Oren went on to say: “I know personally from being in contact with business associates in these areas, everybody is waiting to see what’s going to happen with these elections,” he said. He also stated that regardless of who wins the election, Israel will be looking to maintain its traditionally close relationship with the US.
