It’s 6:00 a.m. in Washington, DC, and the texts are already rolling in. Another question about a potential appointee for Middle East policy in the next administration. This time, it’s a suggestion for someone who’s spent their career on the think-tank circuit. The sender asks, “Would they make a good deputy assistant secretary?” The urgency of the decision-making process is palpable. My first thought: Maybe, if the job is giving panel discussions. But for actually handling the complexities of the region? Not so much.
Welcome to the world of presidential transitions, where everyone tries to staff up for success—or at least avoid catastrophic mistakes. Having been through this process a few times, I’ve learned that getting the right people into key Middle East policy roles is about more than just résumés. It’s about finding the right balance of experience, instincts, and temperament to manage a region where every day feels like a high-stakes game of chess played on shifting sand.
Here’s how it should be done.
Read the rest of this article at the Times of Israel.
