As US President Donald Trump was hosted and feted by Gulf states this week, and in light of the apparent recalibration of the relationship between the US and many Gulf countries, as well as Syria and Turkey, it is worth recalling Israel’s experience in the region over the past few decades.

Israel embarked on a more restrained approach which succeeded in preventing its adversaries’ expansion in the region. At the same time, Israel’s more compliant approach vis-à-vis the Arab world came with costs – a cautionary tale for the approach that the US appears to be undertaking.

Israeli foreign and defense policies in the region

Since the 1990s, the State of Israel has consistently demonstrated conciliatory instincts in all of its foreign and defense policies. This is highlighted by the Oslo Accords, which offered the Palestinians an opportunity for long-term peace and permanent agreements, including a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Israel demonstrated a pattern of restraint throughout the region. In Lebanon, Israel withdrew to the border in accordance with UN Resolution 425, while on the Golan Heights Israel adhered to the 1974 “separation of forces agreement” that came into effect at the end of the Yom Kippur War.…