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President-elect Donald Trump has announced several planned appointments for senior positions in his administration that will shape US foreign policy. Some of the nominees do not have a lengthy record regarding their foreign policy views, but it is possible to examine their previous statements to get a sense of how they will approach some issues. In terms of their views of the Middle East, they are united by absolute support for Israel.

Most of the positions will require confirmation by the Senate — at least eventually. A couple of the nominees might face a challenging confirmation process but, with Republicans holding a majority in the Senate, most of Trump’s picks are likely to receive the chamber’s approval.

Key nominations include Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, media commentator Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, Rep. Michael Waltz as national security adviser, Rep. Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the UN, businessman Steven Witkoff as special envoy to the Middle East, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence and John Ratcliffe as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

When looking through their previous statements on issues related to the Middle East, the clearest commonality is unwavering support for Israel. Rubio has criticized the outgoing administration for trying to persuade Israel to practice more restraint in how it pursues the war in Gaza, expressed support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and referred to the West Bank as “Judea and Samaria.” He recently wrote that “Israelis rightfully living in their historic homeland are not the impediment to peace; the Palestinians are.”

In terms of their views of the Middle East, they are united by absolute support for Israel

Kerry Boyd Anderson

Other Trump nominees have expressed similar sentiments. Hegseth hosted a Fox News series called “Battle in the Holy Land: Israel at War,” which provided a pro-Israel perspective. Waltz has called Israel “the greatest ally we've ever known” and repeatedly criticized the outgoing administration for pressuring Israel to use restraint in attacks on Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Stefanik gained media attention for grilling university leaders about campus protests against the war in Gaza and, in a speech in Jerusalem in May, she criticized the White House for providing insufficient backing to Israel. She has used strong language to condemn the UN for its criticisms of Israel, including recently stating that “once again the UN’s antisemitic rot is on full display.”

Witkoff helped to raise funds from pro-Israel donors for Trump’s campaign and has praised Netanyahu. Gabbard has expressed support for Israel’s war against Hamas and Ratcliffe has criticized the outgoing administration for not doing more to oppose Hamas.

Though Trump has not yet named many ambassadors, he has said that Mike Huckabee will be ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is an evangelical Christian who shows religious devotion to Israel, including frequently visiting the country. He opposes a two-state solution and supports Israeli settlement in the West Bank; indeed, he has said that “there is no such thing as the West Bank — it’s Judea and Samaria,” that “there is no such thing as an (Israeli) occupation,” and that “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian.”

Beyond support for Israel, it is more difficult to assess the Trump team’s likely approach toward the Middle East. Many of the appointees lack deep experience with policy toward the region, so the appointment of other senior officials in the State Department, Defense Department, National Security Council and intelligence agencies will be important in shaping the Trump administration’s policies toward the region.

Foreign policy under Trump will likely include a mix of assertive unilateralism and isolationism

Kerry Boyd Anderson

Nonetheless, there are some clues to how the Trump team will approach global issues that directly affect the Middle East. Foreign policy under Trump will likely include a mix of assertive unilateralism and isolationism and his advisers are likely to often disagree on the appropriate balance between the two approaches. The nominees tend to share a hawkish approach toward China. Some of them, particularly Waltz, would prefer to focus more resources on opposing China and less on the Middle East — although the last several presidential administrations experienced how difficult that can be to accomplish. Middle Eastern leaders might find it increasingly difficult to balance relations between Washington and Beijing.

Some of the future officials have individual interests and experiences in the Middle East. Waltz called for naming the Houthis a Foreign Terrorist Organization, which the White House later did. Gabbard faced much criticism when she visited Syria and met with President Bashar Assad while she was a member of Congress. Hegseth, Waltz and Gabbard are military veterans who were deployed to the Middle East.

Assuming that the Senate confirms Trump’s nominees, they will play key roles in shaping and implementing the president’s policies in the Middle East. Much is uncertain about how the president’s team will approach foreign policy, but unconditional support for Israel will be an important characteristic.

• Kerry Boyd Anderson is a writer and political risk consultant with more than 18 years of experience as a professional analyst of international security issues and Middle East political and business risk. Her previous positions include deputy director for advisory with Oxford Analytica. X: @KBAresearch