Americans must feel like they are in the wrong movie. For years they have tried to leave the quagmire of conflict in the Middle East and focus on their ‘arch-rival’ China. And again and again, they end up like mob boss Michael Corleone in “The Godfather 3”: “Just when I was about to get out, they pull me back in.”
“They” are the Hamas terrorists whose brutal series of attacks in Israel have suddenly catapulted the Palestinian conflict back onto the world stage. The US, like many others, was under the illusion that it could somehow ‘ride out’ the problem. Now they have to intervene again as “fire brigades”.
But the problem is much more complex than in previous outbreaks of violence. Israel has launched a “revenge campaign” in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, which could escalate into a fire. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is therefore on a ‘chaotic journey’ through the Middle East, according to the New York Times.
“Track Lost”
When Blinken left Washington last Wednesday, the trip was said to last two days. He has now been in the region for seven days and the end is not yet in sight. On Sunday, the minister admitted to journalists in Cairo that he had “lost track” of how many countries he had visited so far. There were seven.
This cannot yet compete with Henry Kissinger’s 33-day “shuttle diplomacy” after the Yom Kippur War in 1973. However, veteran Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller advised Blinken in the New York Times to pack a few extra shirts . If the government wants to achieve something concrete, “more such wild rides” will follow.
This illustrates the complexity of the task. President Joe Biden will visit the region on Wednesday. Like his foreign minister, he will try to exert a moderating influence on the Israelis. The US fears two developments:
Humanitarian crisis
A humanitarian catastrophe of enormous proportions is looming in the Gaza Strip. About a million people are stuck at the border with Egypt, without adequate food, water and medicine supplies. Trucks carrying aid are piled up at the Rafah border crossing, but Israel is not letting them pass.
The Israelis want to prevent Hamas from benefiting from the aid and from smuggling in weapons. In any case, they would probably like to deport the refugee Palestinians to the neighboring country, something the Egyptians oppose. The Americans are trying to mediate between these positions and mobilize humanitarian aid.
Joe Biden’s trip was only confirmed Monday evening after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu committed to an unspecified “humanitarian package,” the Washington Post reported, citing two State Department officials. Antony Blinken has received corresponding commitments.
“It is critical that aid flows to Gaza as quickly as possible,” Blinken said in Tel Aviv on Monday. In view of the Israeli military attacks on Hamas in the coastal strip, safety zones for civilians will also be created. It is unclear how this will work due to the blockade at the border.
Escalation in the region
In addition to the humanitarian catastrophe, the Americans fear that the conflict will spread. There is a threat of a two-front war with the Shia Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has a huge rocket arsenal. There are already sporadic skirmishes at the border. As the conflict continues, Iran may also become involved.
This risk should not be underestimated, as Israel assumes that the fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip will last weeks or even months. This could also fuel hatred of the Jewish state and a willingness to use violence among populations in Arab countries that have moved closer to Israel.
Terrorist attacks in Europe are possible, even if there is no clear link between the attacks in Arras and Brussels and the escalation in the Middle East. The US is therefore pursuing a two-pronged strategy. They have deployed two aircraft carriers, USS Ford and USS Eisenhower, to the Mediterranean to deter Hezbollah and Iran.
At the same time, President Biden does not only want to visit Israel during his trip through the Middle East. Meetings are planned with Jordan’s King Abdullah, Egyptian head of state Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In a CBS interview, Biden emphasized that there must be “a path to a Palestinian state,” that is, a two-state solution.
This has become increasingly unrealistic. Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan set more modest goals to CNN on Sunday. They want to guarantee Israel’s security, but are also working to “ensure that innocent Palestinians in Gaza can live in dignity, security and peace in the future.”
But even this seems utopian at the moment. It forces Americans to walk a tightrope, because Ukraine’s support in the war against Russia is also at stake. After all, Israel only seems ready to launch the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza after Joe Biden’s visit to the region, according to Spiegel.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
