A few days before the presidential election in the United States, on Nov. 5, the Republican candidate, former president Donald Trump, sent a signed letter to the Lebanese-American community, in which he promised to bring peace to the Middle East and Lebanon in particular, and seems to place most of the responsibility for the war on his Democratic opponents that have been in the White House since 2020.

In the letter, Trump said that under his mandate (2016-2020), "the Middle East was at peace, and it will be again very soon."

"I will fix the problems caused by [Vice President and Democratic candidate] Kamala Harris and [President] Joe Biden, and end the suffering in Lebanon," he wrote. "I want to see the Middle East find real and lasting peace, and we will conclude it in a way that there is no more war every 5 or 10 years."

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The Republican candidate is reaching out to a community that includes hundreds of thousands of votes from Lebanon and other Arab countries, many in swing states like Michigan. Shortly before what is expected to be a very close election, these votes are all the more precious, especially since Arab Americans often express dissatisfaction with the current Democratic administration's handling of the war in Lebanon and Gaza. In the 2020 election, which Trump lost, Arab votes were not favorable to him given his reputation as being too pro-Israel.

"You have my word," Trump said. "I will preserve the partnership and equality between Lebanese communities. Your relatives and friends in Lebanon deserve to live in peace, prosperity and harmony with their neighbors, and that can only happen if there is peace and stability in the Middle East."

The former U.S. president avoided mentioning Israel, which has been bombing Lebanon much more intensely since Sept. 23, even though the war has been going on since Oct. 8, 2023, and also avoids mentioning Hezbollah.

"Vote Trump for peace," the letter finished.