What will Joe Biden's policy in the Middle East look like? Many experts have sought to answer this question, including Middle East expert Dr. Dror Manor.
"Biden's policy in the Middle East will be completely different from anything we have seen with Trump," Dr. Manor told Arutz Sheva in an interview on Tuesday. "Unlike Trump, Biden will strive to return to the nuclear deal with Iran with very clear clauses and also continue with sanctions. He believes the agreement is very important and would be better than a bloody war with Iran, which will give peace for a short time only, while a nuclear program can result in peace for many years."
"He will consider the security of the State of Israel as previous presidents have done. The roots of his deep friendship with Israel were planted already in his meetings with Golda Meir. He has a great deal of experience in the US Senate and of course in everything related to relations with Israel. His policy will seek to bring the United States to be dominant in the Middle East, to help countries that need it and to strike the evil forces, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and other dictatorial elements. He also wants to protect minorities in the Middle East, such as the protection he sees fit to give the Kurds."
As for the Israeli fear of the return to the White House of members of the Obama administration, Dr. Manor estimated that "Netanyahu and those close to him, such as Ron Dermer and others, will have to align with Biden's staff. Biden has been strongly opposed to the settlement enterprise for many years and he has caused many scenes on this issue in the past. This can be very problematic. It will be much more difficult than in the Trump era, and Israel will have to provide much more explanations before every step concerning settlement."
Manor also estimates that in the new reality emerging in the United States, "Even though Netanyahu opposes the entire issue of the nuclear agreement, Israel may have no choice but to accept the nuclear agreement if it contains certain clauses that it and other countries can agree to, clauses that prevent the Iranians from producing their own bomb."
Is there anything that has occurred during Trump's four years in office that could bring Biden and his people to change their perception? "Hard to believe there is. It is conceivable that the same teams that worked with Obama will continue in the same spirit of the Obama era. It is hard to believe that they will change their minds. The changes may be minor and not beyond that, and clashes are expected between them and Netanyahu, especially on the issue of settlements and negotiations with the Palestinians."
At the same time, Manor adds that "despite the issue of the settlements, Biden, according to all interpretations and everything that has happened over the years, has sided with Israel and thanks to his work Israel received generous grants, which may now be conditional on Israel changing its position. Israel may have to be flexible with the Americans on these issues."