Victor Davis Hanson
American Greatness
The short answer to why both the Biden and Obama administrations failed to achieve peace in the Middle East is that they took actions opposite to Trump’s current efforts, which have led to a ceasefire.
First, consider Iran.
Iran was flush with cash, on a trajectory toward a nuclear weapon, and arming Israel’s “ring of fire” enemies: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
The radical Islamic world of the Middle East was convinced that Israel would be doomed eventually.
Yet both Democratic administrations let Iran profit from oil sales.
They talked of delaying, but not ending, Iran’s nuclear program. And they feared that Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis were indomitable terrorist threats.
Thus, the disruptors of peace were appeased rather than deterred.
Two, both Obama and Biden pressured Israel in general and Netanyahu in particular to make constant concessions.
But neither offered any plan for how Israel was to survive when Iran sought its destruction, and Tehran’s terrorist triad aimed to bombard it with missiles, rockets, and drones.
Worse, once the larger Middle East saw Democratic presidents appeasing Iran and its terrorist appendages, they concluded it was unsafe to take risks by allying with a delusional United States.
Three, both Obama and Biden despised and personally insulted Benjamin Netanyahu, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and the Saudi royal family.
Biden called Saudi Arabia a “pariah state”—at least until he needed it to pump more oil to lower gas prices before the 2022 midterms.
Both presidents sought to isolate Sisi and remove him from power.
Obama had his team leak insults to Netanyahu, most infamously the “chicken sh—t” smear.
Middle Easterners have long memories.
Obama never would have thought up the Abraham Accords. Biden foolishly derailed and then pathetically tried to resurrect them.
Neither the Gulf monarchies, Egypt, nor any conservative government in Israel had any incentive to deal with Obama and Biden, whom they despised.
Yet the more Trump respected and engaged with the Gulf sheikhs, Sisi, and Netanyahu, the more their collective fortunes—and his influence over their nations—increased.
Four, the Obama and Biden administrations were reluctant to use force to curb terrorism in the Middle East.
Neither would ever have taken out Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and the ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, destroyed ISIS, obliterated much of Russia’s Wagner group, or hit the Houthis hard.
The result was that neither the Israelis nor the Arabs trusted Obama and Biden. So they were careful not to take risks, fearing the U.S. would leave them hanging.
Five, on the global stage, both Democratic administrations had radiated a general sense of appeasement and indecision that empowered enemies and scared off friends.
The Middle East remembered the 2011 Libyan bombing misadventure and John Kerry’s pathetic 2013 courting of Russian help in the Middle East.
It recalled the 2014 Russian takeover of Crimea and Donbass, the 2016 appeasement of Iran to cut a nuclear deal, and the 2021 Chinese dressing down of Biden diplomats in Anchorage.
It was shocked by the 2021 humiliating skedaddle from Afghanistan, the 2022 Russian assault on Kyiv, and the 2023 Chinese balloon fiasco.
The Middle East concluded that America was in managed decline. It could not or would not defend its own interests, much less those of its expendable friends.
Six, Obama—and especially Biden—were constrained by their domestic bases in a way Trump was not.
The pro-Hamas, anti-Israel left deterred Democratic presidents from taking risks. In contrast, Trump withstood MAGA fury about bombing Iran or allowing Netanyahu to destroy most of Hamas.
Seven, the Democrats talked diplomatese. They looked down on mercantilism—and so never connected with either the Arabs or Israelis.
Trump equated a peace deal with prosperity. He promised that almost all interests would profit mutually.
For negotiations, he preferred businessmen—himself, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff—to diplomats.
It turned out that the Arabs and Israelis did as well.
Eight, Obama and Biden were infamous for their empty threats. Few ever believed Obama’s 2012 “redlines” issued to Syria on WMD.
No one took seriously Biden’s 2022 threat of “don’t” when Russia was on the verge of invading Ukraine.
In contrast, Trump’s threats were all too real.
Nine, past American administrations were frustrated with a duplicitous Qatar. And so they appeased it. Trump offered both carrots and sticks. After Israel bombed Qatar, the regime sought Trump’s support, shaken and ready to help.
Ten, the Obama and Biden teams—Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Susan Rice, Leon Panetta, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, and Lloyd Austin—were force multipliers of their presidents’ naïveté and incompetence.
By contrast, Sen. Marco Rubio, Gens. Erik Kurilla and Dan Caine, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner shaped, shared, and empowered Trump’s agenda.
Once again, Victor, you slice and dice the Obama and Biden years as the most stupid and inept policies that they were.
Team Trump with zero experience in “foreign affairs” and “diplomacy”, have made these two god-awful administrations look like the fools that they truly are and, dare I say say it, those who voted for them as well.
Team Trump has common sense and human respect balanced with good judgment…qualities that go a long ways in dealing with people.
Neither Biden nor Obama had the negotiation skills that Trump has used extensively and successfully. They were de-horned bulls in a China Shop, blundering into one accident after another. This is what happens when you care more about your image than the American people. you swore to represent. Shame on you both. Good riddance.
Victor, I do not know why your website no longer allows readers to directly comment on another’s postings. I would appreciate it if you would explain your reasoning in one of your future podcasts. I never saw this subsequent commenting ability abused, and often provided a greater depth of understanding, in my view.
Hey Sami/Hey Jack, why don’t you pose this question to Victor?
If that capability were still available, I would have used it a couple of times here in the earlier comments.
Very Good Message….Right On the Money !! Go MAGA…On to World Peace. Also hold Obama and Biden accountable for Crimes against the USA and the World.
I disagree. OBiden and OBozo were totally successful undermining America’s sovereignty . Destroy America…and you open the door to a NWO One World Government.
@Jaroslaw Martyniuk — the war in the Middle East has been going on for +2000 years. Russia invaded Ukraine less than four years ago.
Professor Hanson, you’ve been writing about Israel ad nauseam. It’s time to comment on Trump’s failure to stop the war in Ukraine and deal with Putin. The geonocidal war in Ukraine dwarfs what’s happened to Israel.
Well put, VDH, as usual, which proves, if any proof were needed, that the assertions of Biden, Blinken & others of their ilk that the Biden Administration somehow laid the groundwork for the peace deal Trump & his team brokered are ludicrous
I praise President Trump for getting the remaining hostages released. HOWEVER, ISLAMIC terrorists now know that all they have to do is to kidnap & murder a bunch of Jews, & they can get back all of their terrorists. ALL JEWS NEED TO ARM THEMSELVES WITH AR STYLE RIFLES & SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOLS. Had they done this before, there wouldn’t be any hostages.
VDH –
Another clear analysis of the liberal democrat foreign policy failures. On a side note, I always try to be the optimist, but the local Jewish contingent in my town is taking bets that in 3-4 months from now another suicide bus bomber or AK47 shooting fanatic will terrorize some high traffic street in Israel. They claim that Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis never keep their word when dealing with the West.
Crossed fingers for maintaining peace.
Your essays and podcasts are like the sun’s rays that burn through the fogs and mists that constantly engulf us, that are routinely replenished by forces and systems that should be constrained or destroyed, but sadly will endure, at least in some nasty form. Hopefully each day your messages of irrefutable facts based on history, keen observation and personal experience will chip away at the subservience of the lap dog masses and turn the tide for a better, yet not perfect, future.
Thank you thank you thank you😊
Thank you, AGAIN, for some clear, easily understandable analysis that clearly identifies the differences between lame ineffective, global appeasement foreign policy and one that knows how to accomplish World Positive results.
Great analysis VDH. The Obama and Biden crew were stuck in the past where morning coats, strongly worded cables (whatever a cable is) and diplomacy without the power to back it up and the willingness to use it ruled the day. Trump is a master of negotiation and what is often referred to as WIIFM, or “Whats in it for me”. He identified those would couldn’t or would not ever negotiate and eliminated them via Israel. Then he gathered everyone else figured out their needs and met them. Classic win win negotiation.
Peace through strength, proven again, and again by Republicans.
I thought that Trump followed through with all of the preparatory, hard lifting already done by Biden’s Sec Blinkin. At least that’s what Lord Obama proclaimed.
I remember an interview you did years ago about deterrence. First, how important it is to keep the peace. Second, how hard it is to re-establish once you have let it wither.
President Trump has done more in less time with fewer resources than all the Presidents since Reagan combined.
He speaks boisterously but effectively uses his big sticks!
Obama and Biden, and their lackeys and handlers, were always against Israel on principle. Iran as a grave threat to Israel was OK by them. Whatever they said or did to give the opposite impression was a smokescreen to mislead voters.
VDH, Perfect synopsis of the Obama/Biden failures and Trump’s successes! You remain my favorite source for common sense and I hope you’re feeling ok! I’ve been missing your podcasts and articles! Sending best wishes! Gayle
Great essay. I sent the link to it to Obama’s X account. I probably shouldn’t hold my breath waiting for him to respond. (I didn’t send a link to Biden’s as he’s probably as cognizant as James Buchanan currently is.)