President Trump stunned both admirers and critics when he said on Tuesday that the U.S. should “take over” Gaza “long term” and that its 2.2 million Palestinians should leave for unspecified locations. He made these remarks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised Trump’s “out-of-the-box” thinking.

Yet, on the same day, Trump made statements that would unsettle Israeli hawks. He opposed Jewish settlements in Gaza, demanded Israel implement the hostage deal with Hamas that requires Israeli withdrawal from the Strip and signed an executive order increasing economic pressure on Iran.

At the same time, Trump invited Tehran to negotiate, setting a low bar for compliance — no nuclear weapons — and ruled out military action. Iran’s foreign minister has already responded positively.

This raises a question: Does Trump want confrontation with Arab countries over forced Palestinian relocation, or does he want regional stability through diplomacy?

To understand Trump’s logic, we must view the world through his eyes. While many foreign policy experts see his approach as erratic, Trump operates from a logic those experts abandoned long ago: the art of geopolitics. He understands that, in the 21st century, power hinges on controlling trade........

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