A Turning Point in the Middle East

As a Naval Intelligence Officer, the Middle East was a central focus of my military service. I’ve walked the ground there and felt the weight of its history and heartbreak. I witnessed the aftermath of the 1983 Beirut bombing that killed 241 U.S. Marines. I’ve traveled through Israel and the West Bank, observing the fragile layers of conflict and coexistence firsthand, and visited Israeli naval ships. During the first Persian Gulf War, I served in the Pentagon, tasked with developing strategic targets and assessing bomb damage against Saddam Hussein’s regime.

I have never been as optimistic about the future of the Middle East as I am now.

That may sound surprising, even naive to some, especially given the current headlines. But I believe we are witnessing a moment of realignment—one that could finally weaken the forces of extremism and unlock a more prosperous and peaceful future for the region. Much of this hope stems from the disruption of conventional, often failed, foreign policy approaches. For that, I give significant credit to President Donald Trump. Whatever one thinks of him, it was his willingness to break with the stale orthodoxy of Middle East policy that created the conditions for the Abraham Accords—and for what might now follow.

President Donald J. Trump, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyani sign the Abraham Accords Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour)

No Kings - or Just the Wrong King?

In 2014, I wrote a post titled “Less like a president than a king,” warning of the long, unchecked expansion of executive power in the United States. I made that case during the Obama administration, when the Supreme Court unanimously rebuked the president for exceeding his constitutional authority. Back then, there was little appetite on the political left to hear concerns about presidential overreach, because their party held power.

Fast forward to today, and protests have erupted under the banner “No Kings.” Predictably concentrated in deep-blue cities, these demonstrations have been organized or supported by a who's  who of progressive activist groups: Indivisible, MoveOn, the ACLU, unions, and others. 

The message, at first glance, is a noble one—opposition to authoritarian rule. Many participants are sincere and good people, and I do not seek to offend them or diminish their participation in a cherished First Amendment liberty to protest. I even admire them for engaging. However, these protests are not about tyranny; they are about partisanship. They are not a spontaneous defense of liberty, but an organized campaign effort. 

The slogan “No Kings” is not a call for constitutional restraint—it’s a campaign slogan, just like “Move On.” “Resist” and “Black Lives Matter,” formulated by powerful organizers who have developed networks, communications strategies, funding pipelines, and local chapters precisely to mobilize around virtually any progressive cause at short notice. 

The irony, of course, is that the expansion of executive power has been building for more than a century. It accelerated dramatically under the Obama administration, continued under Trump, and intensified even further under Joe Biden. Presidents from both parties have tested these boundaries. Richard Nixon's abuses of power gave birth to the term "imperial presidency" itself, and George W. Bush’s post-9/11 expansions of surveillance and wartime authority marked another significant leap. Each new president inherits the tools left behind by the previous one and builds upon them. Each new party in power forgets the warnings it once issued when the other party held the White House.

From Ivy Halls: The Collapse of Moral Clarity and Truth on College Campuses

At recent graduation ceremonies at prestigious universities such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth, Cornell, NYU, UC Berkeley, and George Washington University, political activism continued to dominate as students disrupted these events. Kafias were worn, Palestinian flags were flown, diplomas were burned, walkouts occurred, and chants praised those who agreed with them or condemned those who sought moderation.

Some student commencement speakers took to the podium to “go off script,” using their moment in the spotlight to accuse Israel of genocide and demand a “free Palestine.” These comments were not fringe outbursts; they were largely met with applause and praise from audiences that included faculty, students, and families. In the most elite institutions of the Western world, these chants of “resistance” have become a new moral currency.

The actions and words of students reveal something far more troubling than youthful ignorance: they expose a profound and deliberate disconnect from history, morality, and truth. These students, graduates of some of the most prestigious universities in America, seem completely unaware of efforts to establish a Palestinian state over the past 75 years. Each time, Palestinian leadership has rejected peace in favor of violence or political intransigence.

Yitzak Rabin, Bill Clinton, Yassir Arafat - White House, 1993