The Arab world is still trying to acclimate to the fact that Donald Trump has taken the oath of office to become the 45th President of the United States, especially after the new President promised to “wipe out Islamic terror” in Trump Inauguration address.
Although there have been many letters of support and congratulations sent to the new president, not everyone in the Arab world is so pleased.
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Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas sent a short congratulatory letter to trump, saying that he wishes the new president well, and hopes to work with him to create a more peaceful, secure, and stable world in the midst of the turmoil which has reached tragic proportions.
Abbas additionally wrote that he hopes that Trump will help to bring about a peaceful future for all.
Meanwhile, Palestinian protestors burnt a picture of President Trump next to the border crossing into Bethlehem. They also posted posters expressing their opposition to the president moving the US Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
A short while after the inauguration, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was quick to congratulate the new 45th president. Sisi was also the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after he won the election.
“We hope that Trump’s terms will herald a new beginning in US-Egyptian relations,” the Egyptian president said, adding “we have close, friendly relations, and we hope to strengthen our special strategic relations as well.”
A short while later, Saudi King Salman and Crown Princes Mohammad bin Nayef and Mohammad Salman also welcomed Trump to his new position. In his letter, the Saudi king said he is looking forward to “a strengthening of the historic relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States.”
He said that the strategic relationship must also be strengthened so that the joint interests of the US and Saudi Arabia will be preserved.
Not only Arab leadership has been following the Trump inauguration, with social media abuzz over the 45th president, eliciting an Arabic hashtag “#trumpsappointment.”
The “Al-Quds al-Arabi” newspaper published a political cartoon Saturday morning showing President Trump shooting missiles out of his mouth onto a dove with an olive branch with the word “Islam” written on it, after promising to stamp out Islamic terrorism.
An op-ed written under the headline “how will Arabs deal with the new president? Said that Arab countries have two options: either acquiesce to the Trump administration and work with it, or resist and protest the administration and try to get the administration out of office as soon as possible.
ISIS for its part has also responded by publishing a video of its fighters with a mannequin with Trump’s likeness and cutting its head off, and promising to carry out suicide bombing attack on the Whitehouse, amongst other threats.
“We’re coming to slaughter you all,” they said.
Finally, an op-ed written in the Jordanian “a-Rad” newspaper titled “Trump’s world and the new Zionists” said that Trump will continue the US’s traditional policies vis-à-vis construction in the West Bank.
“If Trump indeed keeps his promises to the Zionists regarding the settlements,” the op-ed said, “then Trump will be making his country’s more aggressive than it is at the moment.”
By Roee Kais and Elior Levy, Ynet News
