Tom Barrack has been a trusted friend of President Donald Trump’s for decades. He has had a long career with years of experience in the Gulf, both as an attorney and an investor. He has Lebanese roots and an extensive network in the region. Because of these credentials, Trump has placed much faith in him and given him numerous important tasks. He is involved with Lebanon, Israel, and is the special envoy for Syria and the American ambassador to Türkiye. Therefore, it is important to know where he stands and what his views are for the region. Several interviews he has given this year can give a better understanding.

The Doha Forum

Qatar’s annual event took place earlier this month. Much of the sessions focused on Gaza, ranging from the issues concerning humanitarian aid to the second phase of Trump’s plan. In addition, other sessions focused on Syria, Lebanon, and Iran. However, the word “forum” is misleading. If we are talking about a forum in the classic Roman sense, then that would have meant challenging debates, people criticizing each other’s viewpoints. An intellectual match. Not much of that happened. The guest list seemed to suit Qatari needs, mostly. For instance, Qatar was repeatedly thanked by all of its guests and some even ventured into nauseating praise – hint, his name starts with Tucker. Also, several well-respected journalists succeeded in lowering their credibility. As an example, I would like to mention Patrick Wintour, the diplomatic editor for The Guardian, who had a one-on-one conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The latter called his own country a “rose garden” in a volatile region. This alone would have invited a critical response. Does Ekrem Imamoglu believe his country is a rose garden, sitting in a prison cell? Do Turkish journalists who have fled their country for fear of being persecuted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Ministry of Justice consider their country to be a rose garden? I would think that their opinion would be a little different. But Wintour did not address any of these issues. Instead his line of questioning could be summed up with one word: deferential. Wintour did not, however, mince words when talking about Israel. Indeed, he spoke of Israel’s presence in the buffer zone, while failing to address the continuing Turkish military presence in Syria’s north. And when Fidan left, he smiled and told him that he would allow him to return to his rose garden. In other words, Wintour had sunk to Tucker Carlson’s level.

While there was some debate, most sessions were attended by like-minded officials who continuously complimented each other – “you make an excellent point,” “I second that completely,” and “I agree with my esteemed colleague” were heard over and over again.

Tom Barrack made an appearance as well. He comes across as a man with a keen understanding of the region, but he made a comment about Israel that was surprising and eagerly repeated by various outlets. He stated that Israel claims to be a democracy. That begs the question: what does Barrack think about Israel, the region, and the United States’ role in it?

Is Barrack anti-Israel?

This comment alone would seem to indicate that Barrack is anti-Israel. Yet, based on several comments he has made during this year, I would argue that it is more complicated than that.

In several interviews with The National and Anadolu Agency, as well as his appearances at the Manama Dialogue, Doha Summit, and Concordia Summit, Israel was discussed. Based on these interviews it does not seem that Barrack hates Israel. He stated that he does not agree with everything Israel does, but he respects the country and its concerns. He has stressed that

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