Aryeh Lightstone, a former senior advisor to Ambassador David Friedman and special envoy for economic normalization in the Trump administration, took to Israeli media to discuss what Donald Trump’s election victory could mean for the Middle East. Speaking with Rabbi Pesach Wolicki during Arutz Sheva and Israel365’s election coverage, Lightstone painted Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance as leaders capable of restoring America’s influence and stability in the region.
“This is an exciting day for the Middle East, especially Israel,” Lightstone remarked. He underscored his view that, over the past four years, U.S. power has waned due to what he described as American “weakness” in handling crises like Afghanistan and Ukraine. “There’s only one person who can flip the switch and turn America back on, and that’s President Trump,” he added, pointing to the country’s economic and military might as latent forces ready to be reactivated.
Lightstone did not mince words about what he saw as the stakes involved: “When the U.S. retreats, it’s not Costa Rica or Switzerland that fills the void; it’s the world’s worst actors.” He cited China’s recent diplomatic move in the Middle East—brokering a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran—as a direct consequence of America’s retreat from the region. “It’s a tragic reflection of our absence,” he said, referring to the Afghanistan withdrawal as a “debacle” that left a scar on America’s standing and created a thirst for renewed U.S. leadership.
In Lightstone’s view, Trump’s presidency represents an opportunity to rebuild trust and realign U.S. influence in the region with leaders who share American ideals. Countries participating in the Abraham Accords, he said, are “forward-looking and US-facing,” ready to strengthen alliances if given the chance. “The Trump administration built an American policy that included allies in the region—not as dependents, but as partners,” he noted. “The goal now is to make that approach bipartisan, not solely Republican or Democratic.”
On the subject of Middle East peace efforts, including the Abraham Accords and potential two-state solutions, Lightstone sees Trump as uniquely suited to advance new diplomatic pathways. “Trump, with his unconventional problem-solving, along with Ambassador Friedman’s knack for cutting through gridlock, brings a vision of peace and prosperity that extends to anyone willing to pursue it,” he said. For Lightstone, this means a “no-games” approach, one that challenges long-standing stalemates in the region: “There’s no patience for game-playing anymore,” he declared, referring to what he characterized as empty gestures from leaders not genuinely committed to peace.
Lightstone’s optimism about a new Middle East under Trump was matched by the enthusiasm he observed among Israelis. “Israel is high-fiving today,” he said. “When Trump promised ‘I won’t let you down,’ that wasn’t just for Americans; it was for allies too.”
On the day after the election, Lightstone’s agenda was already packed. “With Ambassador Friedman, there was never a wasted day. Today’s the same,” he concluded. “Israel woke up to a brighter sun.”
