America is back to playing regional cop in the Middle East

As Israel wages genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza, the United States is back to playing regional cop in the Middle East. The Biden administration has warned regional players against attacking its foremost ally and deployed not one but two aircraft carriers to back up its words.

Washington also dispatched Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to reinforce the message to state and non-state actors alike.

The US envoys doubled down on equating Hamas to ISIL (ISIS) to emphasise the brutality of the October 7 attack and make clear that there is no diplomatic solution to pursue, only a military one. The analogy with ISIL goes a long way to providing Israel with carte blanche to wage a “long and painful war” against Gaza.

The Biden administration has rejected Arab calls for de-escalation or a ceasefire, rendering the US complicit in present and future Israeli war crimes.

It has also demanded from Arab governments and the Palestinian Authority to unequivocally condemn Hamas. Most have refused, with the exception of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

US pressure, however, managed to get the Arab League foreign ministers to release a watered-down statement after an emergency meeting in Cairo, equating Palestinian and Israeli actions for the first time by condemning the targeting of civilians on “both sides”. Meanwhile, not a single one of the six Arab governments “at peace” with Israel even bothered to recall its ambassador or freeze its normalisation, let alone close its embassy.

But the sentiments of the Arab public could not be more different from their governments’ official statements. Wherever protests have been allowed, crowds have filled squares in solidarity with Palestine.

For years, poll after poll has highlighted the overwhelming Arab support for Palestine as the foremost Arab cause, and the growing hostility towards America, which is seen as a destabilising hegemonic force in the region.

In fact, there is clear synergy between the Palestinian and the broader Arab struggle for justice and freedom. As the New York Times has finally concluded in a recent article, “supporting the Palestinians in their struggle against Israeli occupation is associated by many Arabs and Muslims with a broader struggle against injustice and oppression”. But the Biden administration continues to be blind to this reality.

This was reflected in Blinken’s insistence that Arab partners with contacts to Hamas use their leverage for the release of all the Israeli captives held in Gaza. A tall order, considering both Israel and the United States have shown no concern for the safety of Palestinian civilians as they publicly commit to crushing Hamas, once and for all.
The US envoys doubled down on equating Hamas to ISIL (ISIS) to emphasise the brutality of the October 7 attack and make clear that there is no diplomatic solution to pursue, only a military one. The analogy with ISIL goes a long way to providing Israel with carte blanche to wage a “long and painful war” against Gaza.

The Biden administration has rejected Arab calls for de-escalation or a ceasefire, rendering the US complicit in present and future Israeli war crimes.

It has also demanded from Arab governments and the Palestinian Authority to unequivocally condemn Hamas. Most have refused, with the exception of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

US pressure, however, managed to get the Arab League foreign ministers to release a watered-down statement after an emergency meeting in Cairo, equating Palestinian and Israeli actions for the first time by condemning the targeting of civilians on “both sides”. Meanwhile, not a single one of the six Arab governments “at peace” with Israel even bothered to recall its ambassador or freeze its normalisation, let alone close its embassy.

But the sentiments of the Arab public could not be more different from their governments’ official statements. Wherever protests have been allowed, crowds have filled squares in solidarity with Palestine.

For years, poll after poll has highlighted the overwhelming Arab support for Palestine as the foremost Arab cause, and the growing hostility towards America, which is seen as a destabilising hegemonic force in the region.

In fact, there is clear synergy between the Palestinian and the broader Arab struggle for justice and freedom. As the New York Times has finally concluded in a recent article, “supporting the Palestinians in their struggle against Israeli occupation is associated by many Arabs and Muslims with a broader struggle against injustice and oppression”. But the Biden administration continues to be blind to this reality.

This was reflected in Blinken’s insistence that Arab partners with contacts to Hamas use their leverage for the release of all the Israeli captives held in Gaza. A tall order, considering both Israel and the United States have shown no concern for the safety of Palestinian civilians as they publicly commit to crushing Hamas, once and for all.