At the heart of President Donald Trump’s Mideast peace push is a calculated risk: a bet on the power of personal relationships with key leaders like Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Egypt’s Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. His strategy relies less on institutional processes and more on direct, leader-to-leader engagement to achieve a breakthrough.
Trump’s upcoming trip is built around these relationships. He will be hosted in Jerusalem by Netanyahu, a long-time political ally, for a symbolic address to the Knesset. He will then travel to Egypt to co-chair a major international summit with el-Sissi, another leader with whom he has cultivated a close rapport.
The administration believes that these strong personal ties can create the trust and political will needed to overcome decades of diplomatic inertia. The idea is that Trump can speak frankly with these leaders, make direct appeals, and forge agreements in a way that traditional, lower-level diplomacy cannot. This approach was central to the success of the original Abraham Accords.
This style of personal diplomacy will be on full display at the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. By gathering over 20 leaders in one place, Trump aims to create a dynamic atmosphere where he can act as the central dealmaker, personally brokering compromises on difficult issues like Gaza’s reconstruction and security.
However, this strategy is not without its risks. It can be unpredictable and highly dependent on the personalities and domestic political situations of the leaders involved. But it is a risk Trump is clearly willing to take, betting that his personal touch can succeed where other, more conventional methods have failed.
A Calculated Risk: Trump’s Bet on Personal Relationships
