Interesting to hear Blinken make the comment after his recent Middle East trip that everyone he met in the region is working to avoid escalation of the Israel - Hamas conflict. It might actually have been nice for him to make the same effort at bringing a resolution of the current war rather than just focusing on avoiding escalation. I think this just underscores that the Biden administration seems to be adrift with respect to its Middle East policy.
And drift in policy from Biden administration on Israel - Hamas war is proving to be hugely damaging to perceptions of US global leadership and more broadly in terms the US’s wider agenda in areas such as Ukraine.
The US apparent brain-dead carte Blanche support for the Netanyahu administration for almost anything it does in Gaza (what are the limits?) leaves the US policy of engaging with the Global South to help in its agenda on Ukraine et al in shreds.
Perceptions of double standards abound - a Gazan civilian life seems to many to count for much less than a white Ukrainian life seemingly in the eyes of the US and its Western partners. This resonates deeply in the Global South - evidenced I think by the SA genocide case against Israel being lodged (double standards therein somewhat by SA - why did it not lodge the same case against Russia on Ukraine?).
Notable also to see British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, left squirming in his answers to pointed questions from the Conservative head of the U.K. parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Alicia Kearns, as to whether Israel has failed in its humanitarian responsibilities to Gazan civilians as the occupying power in Gaza. Cameron struggled not to accept that Israel is conducting war crimes in Gaza.
A Rivalry for Leadership
The question is when should the US call an end to Israel’s desire for revenge for events on October 7, and how giving Israel a free rein is delivering on Western security interests.
The longer the US/West stand back and do nothing to bring peace in Gaza:
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a) the more the US’s global leadership position is damaged.
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b) the more global support for the US/West in Ukraine is undermined - particularly in the Global South.
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c) the greater the risk of a wider escalation with global impact - already seeing that with the Houthi’s in the Red Sea. It seems clear that neither the US nor Iran want a direct conflict at this stage but Israel seems to think it has a free hit against Hezbollah in Lebanon and the question is what is the tolerance then from Iran and Hezbollah before they feel compelled to act more forcefully to defend their interests in southern Lebanon. I can see the logic from a far-right Israeli perspective of widening the conflict to bring the US in to a war with Hezbollah and Iran - perhaps finally taking out the Iranian nuclear threat to Israel. But how is this in US or Western interests?
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d) the risk of wider Muslim anger with the West, a radicalization therein against the West and again feeding the agendas of ISIS, al Qaeda et al. The risk is of terrorist attacks on Western streets.
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e) broader regional instability - as the Arab street comes out against the inaction of their own governments. Risks therein in places like Egypt, Jordan et al.
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Reprinted from @tashecon blog. See the original here.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.
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Comments (7)
I wish people would stop using the Kyiv Post to exchange their childish profanities. No one wants to read your inane vulgarities. This newspaper deserves better,
@Cedar, you are a piece of shit. And your comments are worthless. Go fuck yourself.
@Stefan Heinz, thank you! About time someone told the trolls to leave people alone.
Garton Ash fails to mention that Hezbollah has been attacking Israel since October 7. The remaining Maronites do not wish Lebanon to be dragged into another war, but Hezbollah has already ensured that tens of thousands of Israelis have had to flee from their northern homes. Garton Ash is so keen to present himself as a virtuous humanist, he always sees the mote in the West’s eye & misses the beam in that of Hamas & other malignant organisations.
trumpty dumpty looses the fake news campain,pootins trolls loose the fake news campain,they on the wrong channel,its very entertaining to read their stupid posts
@trumpy needs to go play golf, you sack of shit. Trumpty dumpty needs to go fuck himself. And eat shit motherfucker.
@Stefan Heinz, Your vocabulary is representative of many russian trolls these days. I suspect those kind of jobs usually go to the unethical, lethargic folks who can't get a productive job elsewhere and thus sell what's left of their souls to a tyrant. I suspect a past poor work ethic meant you never went far in school, and you've subsequently not expanded your mind seeking or applying truth.
For such folks their world often gets smaller and smaller and so they lash out at more successful , balanced folks with their profanity. You can do better you know.
However, you have to want to change and be willing to work harder.
@John, fuck you asshole! And you can shove your worthless opinions up your asshole. Dumb motherfucker!
never seen so many anti,-trumpty dumpty clips on youtube,and these are by normal every day american citizens.
americans have woken up to maga and the wanna be dictator trump
The US policy in the Middle East is to pander to and appease Iran.
Timothy, buy yourself a clue. The U.S. has no policy and no fucking clue what it is doing in the Middle East.
@Stefan Heinz, I don't understand the hostility Stefan. I felt the sentiment of both the article and your comments were compatible. What did I miss?