TEL AVIV, Israel — Donald Trump will return to the US presidency At a time of unprecedented conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East. He promised to fix it.

But Trump’s strong history of support for Israel his insistence As he campaigns for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, isolationist forces within the Republican Party and its penchant for unpredictability raise a host of questions about how his second presidency will affect the region at this critical moment.

Unless elusive ceasefires can be reached before the inauguration, Trump will ascend to the highest office in the land. Brutal war in Gaza still angry and Israel is pressuring Attack on Lebanese Hezbollah militant group. a fire between Iran and Israel Israel’s conflicts with Iranian proxies in Iraq and Yemen also show no sign of abating, and Iran’s nuclear program remains a major concern for Israel.

Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to bring peace to the region.

“Get this over with, let’s get back to peace and stop killing people,” Trump said of the conflict in Gaza in an April interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

Israel started the war in response Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023Militants killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 people in Israel. Dozens of people still in Gaza. More than 43,000 people died in Israel’s attack. According to Gaza health officials, no distinction is made between civilians and combatants, but more than half of the dead are women and children.

The war sparked a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and plunged Israel into increasing international isolation; Two world courts are examining this situation. war crime accusationsand ignited a wave Protests on American campuses This has fueled debate about the US role as Israel’s main military and diplomatic supporter.

International mediators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have tried unsuccessfully to broker a permanent ceasefire.

But Trump has repeatedly called on Israel to “finish the job” and destroy Hamas, but has not said how.

“Does finishing the job mean that you are free to fight the remnants of Hamas? Or does finishing the job mean that the war must now end?” asked David Makovsky, director of the Arab-Israeli Relations program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “That’s part of the mysteries here.”

Uncertainty also clouds how Trump will communicate with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During his first term, Trump offered broad support for the Israeli leader’s hard-line policies, including a unilateral withdrawal from Israel. A deal aimed at reining in Iran’s nuclear program Something Netanyahu has long opposed.

Trump also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel; This strengthened its claim over the disputed city and Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war. He presented a peace plan to the Palestinians, who were widely seen as supporting Israel. Settlement construction in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, seen as an obstacle to a Palestinian state, increased rapidly during his presidency.

Trump also helped secure agreements between Israel and four Arab countries to normalize ties that were not contingent on progress toward a Palestinian state, a major victory for Netanyahu. The Israeli leader hopes to repeat these successes with a deal with Saudi Arabia.

The leaders fell out after Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden following the 2020 election; But Trump viewed it as an underrated move by his loyal ally. Netanyahu visited Trump in Florida this year.

During the Biden period, the USA was critical from time to time and slowed down some weapons The deliveries were made in response to Israel’s stance in Gaza. Netanyahu likely hopes that Trump’s return will loosen any restrictions on Israel’s pursuit of its war objectives. The American leader could also work to challenge a potential international war crimes arrest warrant against Netanyahu. And a smoother relationship with Washington could help boost the Israeli leader’s own popular support.

“He has the most pro-Israel record of any president,” said Michael Oren, Israel’s former ambassador to Washington. “There’s hope for more of the same.”

Netanyahu leads a far-right government whose key members have vowed to overthrow his rule if the war in Gaza ends in nothing more than the destruction of Hamas. They support resettlement in Gaza and are excited about Trump’s presidency. Their influence will increase even more with Netanyahu coming to power. fired the defense minister due to his more pragmatic approach to conflict.