On this episode of East to West, host Sarah Martinez Amir dives into President Donald Trump’s recent Middle East tour — a high-profile visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE that resulted in multi-billion-dollar deals and renewed calls for regional normalization with Israel.

While Trump didn’t touch down in Tel Aviv, his messaging echoed key Israeli priorities — condemning the October 7 Hamas attacks, pressing for hostage releases, and encouraging Saudi Arabia and even Syria to join the Abraham Accords.

So why was Israel left out? Was this a snub, or a calculated strategy to advance Israeli interests from behind the scenes? What does a U.S.–Qatar rapprochement mean for Jerusalem? is the US lifting sanctions on Syria the right move?

To unpack the complex signals and optics, we’re joined by Oded Ailam, former Mossad counterterrorism chief, and Hazem Alghabra, former senior advisor at the U.S. State Department to analyze the optics and long-term implications for Israel, the Gulf, and U.S. diplomacy in the region.