The new US president has issued several executive orders to fulfill campaign promises
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s President Trump signs executive orders with a flourish, there is a lot at stake. The birthright citizenship has been revoked and there is some tough talk on gender issues.
As Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the US on January 20, the world looked warily forward to his second term.
Within 24 hours in office, he pardoned more than 1,500 January 6 rioters and alleged participants in the US Capitol attack. He then unconditionally pardoned two Washington, DC, police officers for their role in the death of 20-year-old Karon Hylton-Brown, in a case that drew protests after the murder of George Floyd.
Next, he moved with lightning speed to roll out his immigration agenda, effectively closing off the US southern border to asylum seekers, severely limiting who is eligible to enter the United States and laying the groundwork to swiftly deport migrants already in the country.
Incoming refugee flights were canceled, troops were moving to the border, federal authorities were given permission to arrest people in or near schools and churches. The pool of undocumented immigrants eligible for quick deportation without a judicial hearing was expanded. Trump also signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship.
He also put government employees in all federal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility offices on paid administrative leave, as a first step to dismantling the programmes reviled by conservatives and firing the employees.
He also pulled the US out of the World Health Organisation and the Paris climate agreement. The flurry of activity over the next three days has been almost too swift to follow.
On the foreign policy front, President Trump’s threats/ warnings continue against Panama, Mexico, Greenland, Spain and Russia.
Trump said he was “not confident” the Gaza ceasefire would last. Yet, he also claimed credit for the agreement between Israel and Hamas. “I’m not confident. It’s not our war; it’s their war,” he said from the Oval Office, when asked by a reporter whether the ceasefire would hold and last through three planned phases. “I looked at a picture of Gaza – Gaza is like a massive demolition site. That place is, it’s really. It’s got to be rebuilt in a different way.”
If history is any guide, Trump administration is going to ramp up support for Israel. The US under Trump 1.0 failed to find diplomatic balance when it came to Israel and Palestine. Under him, US recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved its embassy to the city. Jerusalem holds great importance. This show of support from the US administration was a major loss for the Palestinians.
Trump says he is “not confident” the Gaza ceasefire will last.“I’m not confident. It’s not our war, it’s their war. I looked at a picture of Gaza – Gaza is like a massive demolition site. That place is, it’s really. It’s got to be rebuilt in a different way.”
While this alienation was exacerbating the vulnerabilities in Gaza, a flamboyant plan by the Trump administration on January 28, 2020, unveiled the way the Israeli Palestinian conflict would be ‘resolved.’ Even though a two-state solution was still a part of the plan, Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the West Bank was regnised. The statement devised a strong pro-Israeli stance for the Trump administration.
Another significant development was the support for the so-called Abrahamic Accords, aimed at achieving regional peace and stability. The American president supported the normalisation of relations between several Arab states and Israel. These partnerships weakened the cause of the Palestinians. The world media moved away from the exploitation of the people of Gaza to a new era of economic strength in the Middle East.
Fast forward to the November 2024 elections that Trump won. The Gaza question was one of the top political discussions in the presidential debates. While both sides promised to work for a ceasefire, Trump’s campaign rhetoric was mainly about the strength of the US-Israeli relations. He described Hamas as a terrorist organization and overemphasised Israel’s need to defend itself. The final blow was his willingness to cut funding for UNRWA, the UN agency that provides aid to the Palestinian refugees. By the end of 2024, it was clear that humanitarian assistance for the people of Palestine could only be initiated by the White House if it suited the state of Israel.
Trump 2.0 is “not confident” about the ceasefire to survive long. There is a push to re-imagine the war. A complete end to the war seems remote.
Even if the Trump administration can help retain the ceasefire, exchange of hostages and agree on a rebuilding plan for Gaza, the world will only see an Israeli sympathiser trying to whitewash the Palestine question. According to Trump, Israel’s security will always be the top priority. A ceasefire will be advertised as a victory for Israeli resilience rather than a step towards an equitable conflict. A ceasefire unfavourable to the Zionists might be ruled out again. Unwavering support for the Israeli army will continue and the US might look into funding its Iron Dome missile defence system.
The diplomatic isolation of Hamas by the Trump administration will paint it as the sole culprit in the Gaza conflict.
As many celebrate the ceasefire that has apparently put an end to violence, there are still concerns with regards to hostages, a potential solution to the conflict and a comprehensive implementation of the ceasefire. Many are sceptical about the lasting impact of the ceasefire, which promises cooperation between Israel and Hamas. All eyes are on Trump as he leads the militarily most powerful country on the earth.
Ejaz Hussain has a PhD in political science from Heidelberg University and a post-doc from UC-Berkeley. He is a DAAD, FDDI and Fulbright fellow and an associate professor at Lahore School of Economics. He can be reached at ejaz.bhatty@gmail.com
Marukh Sindhu is a senior-year student at the Lahore School of Economics, pursuing a BS degree in political science