U.S. attempts to remain tough on policy have recently collided with the realities of the Middle East, Politico writes. And the facts show that Washington has so far been unable to fundamentally influence Arab countries to unequivocally condemn the actions of Hamas. The US strategy under Joe Biden has long been perceived as pro-Israel, which also fuels discontent in the region, the article notes.
America’s recent intensive diplomatic efforts have so far failed to sway the leadership of many Arab countries in the Middle East. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who has arrived there, says he is trying to prevent the conflict from spreading beyond Israel and the Gaza Strip. However, he has so far failed to convince Arab leaders and get them to unequivocally condemn the actions of Hamas, Politico reports.
Even neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt have not fully supported Washington’s position. And this shows that the White House strategy does not meet the current realities of the Middle East, the article emphasises. Arab leaders do not intend to unequivocally take sides, while the situation continues to become more complicated as hostilities continue.
This also indicates that the US influence in the region is weakening, as the interests of neighbouring countries often diverge from Washington’s interests, the article notes. While Russia and China are also actively involved in the struggle for influence in the Middle East. And against this background, the unambiguous support Washington shows to Israel could be one of the biggest obstacles to building relations with the rest, Politico warns.
Some analysts even believe that US President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to the region may only make the task more difficult. “Biden’s arrival will send a clear signal that the US is on Israel’s side on this issue. It will probably anger some in the Arab world; but I think it will be important for the region to see: the U.S. administration’s position is unwavering,” Washington-based analyst Jonathan Schanzer told Politico.
Biden is set to meet with some Arab leaders in Jordan, as well as visit Israel in a show of solidarity. Pro-Palestinian groups, including Hamas, may see the visit as provocative. However, some experts believe it is too early to write off the US.
In their view, behind-the-scenes negotiations may prove more fruitful than public statements demonstrate. Since many Arab leaders do not want to publicly give cause for discontent to the people of the region, where support for the Palestinians is generally quite high, the article explains.
Over the past few days, Secretary Blinken has already managed to visit Israel and six Arab countries, some of them even twice, Politico recalls. And according to him, it was possible to reach “significant consensus” on some key issues, including the desire to prevent the conflict between Israel and Hamas from escalating into a larger regional war.
Blinken also said there was a shared desire to protect civilians and find a way to “give the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip the help they need, and we’re working very hard on that.” However, all US attempts to persuade Egypt to open the border crossing to allow Palestinians with foreign citizenship to leave the Gaza Strip have so far failed, the article said.
Egyptian authorities, meanwhile, accuse Israel of preventing its bombings and other actions from sending humanitarian aid to needy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Cairo is also very wary of any offers to take in Palestinian refugees because it fears that Israel will then prevent them from returning, as has happened before, the article explained.
At the same time, unnamed diplomatic sources said the US and other foreign officials have held a series of behind-the-scenes talks to persuade Israel to lift the initial 24-hour warning to urgently evacuate all residents from the northern Gaza Strip. Blinken also announced in Tel Aviv on Tuesday that the U.S. and Israel “agreed to develop a plan that will allow humanitarian aid from donor countries and multinational organisations to reach civilians in the Gaza Strip.”
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller also said that Blinken would continue to be active in this regard. “He will continue his intensive diplomatic efforts to ensure that Israel can defend itself and prevent the conflict from widening, letting the facts speak for themselves,” Miller stressed.
But to the disappointment of the Biden administration, Arab countries have either shown great restraint or have remained silent altogether when it comes to publicly condemning Hamas, the article noted. While the attack by Palestinian militants has resulted in massive casualties, Israel’s actions have also killed thousands of Palestinians.
In addition, the Israeli blockade has led to severe shortages of water, fuel and electricity, increasing concern over the fate of 2.2 million civilians in the Gaza Strip. Already, amid numerous Israeli airstrikes, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been rendered homeless. And few believe Washington will be able or willing to try to stop Israel’s planned military ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, Politico writes.
In recent days, Biden has moved away from the unequivocal support for Israel he voiced immediately after the conflict escalated, and has also begun to express concerns about protecting Palestinian civilians. But the Biden administration and the United States as a whole have long been seen as far more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian, adding to the dissatisfaction with its policies in the region, the article emphasised.
It should also be borne in mind that some of the Arab governments have long historical ties to the Hamas group. And their leaders are well aware that many people in Arab countries are also strongly in favour of the Palestinians, Politico notes. This is evidenced by the rather harsh reception Blinken has received in countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia. There have also been reports that the Saudis are suspending US-backed talks on normalising diplomatic relations with Israel.
According to Khaled El-Gindi, an analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington, Biden started changing the tone of his remarks too late. Therefore, the Arab world is still reacting exactly to the statements the White House made at the beginning. “The deterrence statements had to be made in real time, otherwise they are meaningless,” he emphasised.
Nevertheless, some Arab officials support the US diplomatic efforts, although they recognise that it may be a while before results emerge, the article said. “I have no doubt that without American leadership we would be in a much more dire situation. The goal now is to stop the bleeding, and although they have already put band-aids on the wound, it is still too deep,” an unnamed Arab diplomat told Politico.
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