We must be unequivocal in our opposition to all forms of terror, and determined to drive it from the Middle East. There are no excuses for religious or political motivation for terrorism, and those who espouse these excuses must be pushed to the periphery of influence and decisionmaking in the region. Al Qaeda and ISIS, and other groups of their ilk, do believe they are carrying out a jihad. They believe in the Islamic view that the world is divided into a Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb (literally House of Islam and House of War). They believe they must fight until the whole world belongs to Islam.

Can President Trump be the wise leader needed?

I think so. He campaigned on a promise to restore close ties with Israel and to smash ISIS and other Islamist terror organizations. These are good intentions.

And as he has demonstrated in his first action-packed weeks in office, he is a man of action. Simply put, he knows how to get things done. He is not satisfied by words alone, only by words combined with useful action. He no doubt will require time to learn more about the players in the region, but he is off to a good start by reconfirming the special relationship between the United States and Israel. He has also wasted no time in stating his intention to destroy ISIS and other Islamic terror organizations.

The problems in the Middle East are only intractable if you lack courage and wisdom in taking them on. I believe Donald Trump has both and will be able to achieve more than his predecessors towards building a durable peace in the region.

Thomas Cromwell studied Arabic in the Middle East. He established and ran a language institute in Alexandria. He was a writer and editor for the Jordan Times. Additionally, he established the Middle East Times in Cyprus and was the publication’s publisher and editor for eighteen years.

Image: The IDF Paratroopers Brigade training in the Golan Heights. Wikimedia Commons/Israel Defense Forces