Abu Ivanka. Abu Tiffany
Friday is supposed to be Palestine’s independence day because it is the anniversary of the 1988 declaration of statehood by then Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. But it is a desperately sad and mournful “independence” day with Palestinians hurting, the community literally bleeding to the death 13 months and counting into Israel’s punishment of Gaza. A senior UN official has said Gaza is now “unfit for human survival”.
In this scenario steps “Abu Ivanka”, one of the more interesting descriptions appended to Donald Trump weeks before he begins his second term. It was Faisal J. Abbas, the suave, well-networked editor-in-chief of Arab News who described the incoming US president in that way.
In his Semafor column, Mr Abbas wrote: “There’s a belief in the [Middle East] region that ‘Abu Ivanka’ holds more cards, stamina, and the guts to do what his predecessor couldn’t”. He added: “Trump 2.0 has little to lose but much to gain by brokering peace, and potentially reshaping his image from undertaker to peacemaker”.
Why? Why point out that Mr Trump is father of Ivanka?
In styling Mr Trump in the Arab way ie “father of xx”, Mr Abbas appears to lay affectionate claim to America’s 47th president. Interesting though that he namechecks Ivanka rather than Mr Trump’s firstborn son. In Arab culture, Mr Trump would more conventionally be “Abu Don” (for Don Jr).
The logic, of course, is that Ivanka Trump matters because she’s married to Jared Kushner.
But Mr Abbas seems way too cheerful about Abu Ivanka and the prospect of Mr Trump’s second presidential term.
After all, Mr Kushner once drafted a Middle East peace plan that was deeply skewed in Israel’s favour and he ensured that the UN relief agency for Palestinians was sidelined and starved of cash. Though he will not be a formal part of his father-in-law’s second administration, Mr Kushner has said he will remain available to help and advise, as needed. He may not be. Not much. Mr Trump’s picks for his administration are likely to be deeply seized of the need to sort out the Middle East.
But they will push developments in a pro-Israel direction. Nothing else can be expected of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who will be secretary of state; Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who will be ambassador to the United Nations; former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who will be ambassador to Israel and Steven C. Witkoff, a real estate developer and Trump golfing buddy, who will be special envoy to the Middle East.
Some Israeli politicians see Abu Ivanka’s return to the White House as the chance to finally end Palestinian aspirations to statehood. Israel’s far right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has already indicated that preparations should begin to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
If there is any good that will come of Mr Trump being a father, it is that he is Abu Tiffany. His second daughter married Lebanese American Michael Boulous in 2022. The couple are preparing for their first child. Michael’s father, Masaad, a rich businessman, is understood to have been talking to Mr Trump about the Middle East, particularly Lebanon. Perhaps Abu Tiffany will ease Lebanon’s suffering at Israeli hands.
Originally published at https://www.rashmee.com
