Conservative policy wonks break down Trump's Middle East policy for AJC event

At the American Jewish Committee's panel on Tuesday, one of the few non-partisan Jewish events happening in conjunction with the Republican National Convention, there was a push to understand the nuance of former President Trump's Middle East and foreign policy more broadly from the experts who helped craft it in his first administration. 

Panelists Kiersten Fontenrose, Ken Weinstein and Rich Goldberg were questioned not only about Israel and Middle East policy, but also implications of dealing with Iran, Russia and China. 

AJC's Jason Isaacson, Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, moderated the event. 

Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC's Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, told The Jerusalem Post that between 100 and 150 community members, diplomats, and policymakers attended, with many local Jewish community members coming who wouldn't necessarily have come to the RNC on their own. 

Fontenrose, a Middle East national security expert currently at the Atlantic Council, who in 2018 served as the Senior Director for the Gulf at the National Security Council, leading the US policy development for the Gulf Cooperation Council, Yemen, Egypt, and Jordan.

Weinstein, a revered expert in geopolitics and United States foreign policy, served multiple administrations in presidential appointed positions, and served as Ambassador to Japan under Trump's administration. 

Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, served as the Director for Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction for the White House National Security Council from 2019-2020. 

Isolationist policies

Rayman noted what she thought was the most interesting question about  J.D. Vance's isolationist policy toward Ukraine, and if that signals a trend in the Republican party that if the US doesn't need to be engaged in Ukraine for American interests, then could that line of thinking pose a future threat to Israel. 

Rayman said she was impressed with the way the panelists portrayed and conveyed the Trump doctrine of "strength through power" in a nuanced way that's different from people's perception of how Trump deals with foreign policy. 

Rayman said from the AJC's perspective, which is always trying to get people to drive toward the middle and listen, there was a lot of constructive listening happening that she hopes will lead toward greater stability in the US. 

"They're really drawing upon those lessons and prognosticating. I am positive that they are involved in conversations about moving forward, but to their credit, they didn't want to disclose that or make promises," Rayman said. 

Rayman said the whole process of looking forward, trying "read the tree the tea leaves" is ever changing. 

"I think they very wisely looked back and gave very concrete examples about certain things that they had seen or experienced, and what that might mean," she said. 

"Regardless of what anyone thinks of the former president and his foreign policy, when really smart people like Rich, Ken and Kiersten are explaining it, there's a degree that one can say, 'oh, I understand now. That makes sense. I respect that,'" she said.