It is no secret that there is a considerable rift between the Donald Trump administration and the European Union. Trump fulfilled his election promises of an “America First” policy, objecting to globalization, regionalization, the European Union, free trade deals and climate change. He vehemently objects European immigration and refugee absorption policies. He does not hide his dislike of Europe’s strong women, namely German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On Syria he cooperates mainly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the Israeli-Palestinian issue, he largely works solo, in cooperation mainly with Egypt and the Arab Gulf states. He has developed a better personal relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, mainly in order to have a European partner on anti-terror issues.

Brussels has witnessed a major shift in the EU-US relationship in the respective outlooks on economic and security policies. A senior EU official close to Federica Mogherini, the European Union high commissioner for foreign affairs and security policy, told Al-Monitor that given the internal and external situation, Brussels is compelled to develop a more independent foreign policy, including on Middle Eastern issues. Following the Brexit, the EU is headed today mainly by a German-French alliance — Merkel and Macron. With the economic might and influence of the EU in the international arena, Brussels, Berlin and Paris are determined to run an effective and more independent foreign policy.

The senior EU official told Al-Monitor that Brussels is particularly concerned with the Israel-Palestinian issue on the backdrop of recent violence outbreaks in the aftermath of the July 14 terror attack near the Temple Mount. Mogherini has been consulting lately on this issue with the German, French and Italian leaderships. They are all concerned that violence will spiral out of control, turning into an armed intifada. Mogherini is also in constant contact with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but the US administration does not involve the EU in the ongoing efforts of its envoy Jason Greenblatt, except for periodic updates.

The way the EU sees the current situation, there is a real danger to the stability of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ regime. Abbas is coming under considerable fire from Hamas in Gaza, from allies of his Fatah rival, Mohammed Dahlan, and from radical Fatah members in the West Bank. The pragmatic Arab countries offered Abbas only rhetoric support in these difficult times.