With just months to go before Trump takes over the White House, people still seem shocked at the idea that a Trump presidency is really going to happen.
However, we remain unsurprised at the fact that there is continuous war in the Middle East. We remain unsure of what exactly is going on between Israel, Syria, the United States, and Russia. Society’s form of informative media tackles terrorism and similar events, while not focusing on the real circumstances between Israel and Palestine.
Without a doubt, popular media is the first to perceive Donald Trump as a villain or a piece of satire. Yet, somehow, he still managed to come to power, with outrageous numbers and a powerful team of supporters. Needless to say, there seems to be a high level of miscommunication between the popular media and the people. The media makes it seem as if Trump got into power through some weird coincidence, or plotted miracle. Realistically, the truth behind Trump is that the people who voted for him don’t understand the real circumstances of what is going on in the world right now. This all trails back to the initial theory that Trump became so powerful because “ignorance is bliss(ed)”.
Knowledge is power, and people don’t learn the real circumstances of what happens in the world because it is not shown on popular media.
Just when things couldn’t appear to get any more confusing, the world is now more divided then it has ever been before and a psychological Cold War is taking place between Palestinians, Israelis, Russians and Americans.
So for those who think President Donald Trump will make a good president because of his ability to connect with pop culture, here is what is really going on in the world right now.
1. Trump Making Twitter Great Again
Not that Twitter is meaningful on a global standpoint, but Trump’s productivity on Twitter has proven that he is neglecting the media that helped him get elected in the first place. Therefore, him and his staff need to create their own platform. His tweets are no new way of communicating with the general public, and are rather a questionable habit that is very unfitting for the President of the United States. Twitter is meant to voice freedom of speech and transparency within public figures, yet we still don’t know anything about our President-elect’s income taxes, ties to Russia or how he plans on handling his business conflicts.
Recently, Trump and his tweets have sparked issues within the White House. Trump attacked President Obama and his handle on Israel on the social media platform. This created an ultimate divide between the current President and the President-elect, causing controversy and disagreements within the White House and with Israel. John Kerry, the Secretary of State, sat for an interview with MSNBC in which he said that Trump’s social media comments on foreign policy “are having an impact on allies.”
There is a clear disagreement between the two administrations and the current administration made it clear that the future of the State Department will be left with a bitter taste in its mouth.
2. What is Happening in Palestine and in Israel? If Only Americans Knew.
Brief History: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most sensitive issues that could be discussed. Prior to the discovery of oil, the main reasons for involvement in the Middle East were for religious purposes. The support for the Jewish people and the state of Israel has been because of the interest of oil and to ensure that there is an ally in the region.
The Current Day Issue: The first issue at hand is maintaining an ethnically preferential state. The original population of what is now Israel was 96% Muslim and Christian, yet refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes in the self-described Jewish state.
The next big issue is that Israel continued military occupation and confiscation of privately-owned land in the West Bank and control over Gaza, leaving Palestinians minimal control over their lives. This left thousands of Palestinians as Israeli prisoners. Palestinian borders are now controlled by Israeli forces, producing an escalating humanitarian crisis. This happens daily, and according to the Oslo peace accords of 1993, these territories were supposed to become a Palestinian state.
On average, US taxpayers give Israel $8 million per day. This is why many Americans are now calling for an end to this operation.
3. Aleppo
As the Syrian Government claims a victory in Aleppo, the long and bloody conflict leaving hundreds of thousands dead is far from over.
Days after President Bashar al- Assad announced that the Syrian army regained control of the city from rebel forces, thousands of civilians remain trapped and are still facing survival.
On Monday, the Syrian army announced that it was in control of 98% of Aleppo following a military offensive beginning on November 26. The Syrian Government also controls the capital, Damascus, parts of Southern Syria, Deir Az Zor, and most of the territory along the border with Lebanon, as well as the northwestern coast. The rest is controlled by rebels, the Islamic State and Kurdish forces.
Since 2011, the Syrian Army (FSA) has pushed the country into a civil war over the Arab Spring uprising. This led to a crackdown by Assad’s forces, after President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak toppled from power. The Assad family has been in power since 1971. Syrians were angry that long-promised economic and political reforms failed to eventuate during Assad’s power.
In 2012, rebels seized eastern Aleppo, dividing the city. This caused intense bombing, causing an estimated one million civilians to flee and another half million to be displaced. Islamic State forces then clashed with the rebels, establishing a presence in the eastern part of the city in 2013.
In 2015, Russia began air strikes around Aleppo, supporting Assad in the civil war. Meanwhile, several Arab states, including Turkey, provided support to rebel groups in Syria.
The U.S. has accused President Assad of being responsible for widespread atrocities and wants to see him out of power. In Sep. 2014, the U.S. joined the international coalition against the Islamic State but has avoided intervening in battles between rebel and Assad forces.
Civilians trust neither the rebels, nor their own government as safe. Right now, there is a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia to allow the evacuation of rebels and civilians surrendering the city to the government.
This morning, John Kerry presented a speech that warned Israel that a two-state solution was in serious jeopardy. This outlined the administration’s vision for finding Middle East peace, weeks before President-elect Trump takes power.
Without a doubt, Trump will pursue a different approach to all the crises in the Middle East. Kerry highlighted that the lack of trust is now the biggest obstacle that the U.S. will face towards achieving peace.
