A Jolt For Joe Biden

The horrendous attacks by Hamas extremists killing hundreds of Israeli civilians, including women and children, besides taking several of them hostages, needs to be strongly condemned. The incident nonetheless has changed the geopolitical equations across the globe and exposed the hypocrisy and duplicity of the United States (US) and its western allies.

Besides, the violence by Hamas has brought out in open a huge gap between the people and autocratic regimes in the Middle East, many of these being propped up and supported by the US.

Therefore, it came as a rude shock to the US President Joe Biden, when three Arab leaders, believed to be promoted and propped by his establishment, refused to meet him on his tour to the Middle East on October 18.

The refusal came soon after what is widely believed to be a targeted attack by Israeli defence forces on Al Ahli Baptist Hospital that killed more than 500 Gaza residents, including women and children. The incident sparked widespread public protests in many Arab countries unsettling their ruling elites, who avoided being seen with the US President.

The US President perhaps underestimated the anger sweeping across Arab countries because of the way Palestinian civilians were being killed in the so-called counter offensive by Israel. The first snub to the US was given by Mohammad Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, who kept Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, waiting before meeting him the next day.

Antony Blinken had spent the last few days in the Middle East to prepare ground for a summit level meeting of President Biden with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the state of Palestine, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of Egypt.

The shuttle diplomacy by the US Secretary of State was meant to smoothen the “counter offensive” launched by the Israeli government and its forces to take “revenge” for what happened on October 7.

The American demands included, safe release of hostages taken by Hamas, safe passage to American and Canadian citizens stuck in Gaza, providing humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, and most importantly that the conflict remains contained and doesn’t get enlarged. This is exactly what the Israeli government wanted with perhaps the only exception of allowing humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.

The Americans were not ready to accommodate the views of Arab leaders demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe.

For Israel, its violence against the Palestinians has no direct correlation with depredations of Hamas or for that matter any other extremist group. Israel has been on a rampage against Palestinians since it was recognised by the US, only 11 minutes after its formation, and has served the interests of its master in the region.

That is why US President Biden fully endorsed the version given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the attack on the hospital. Biden’s announcement of dispatching aircraft carriers and supplying arms and ammunition to Israel had made it amply clear on which side the US has decided to stand.

In its dealings in the Middle East after the Hamas attack, the US had underestimated the influence China had already carved out for itself by brokering peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Much to the chagrin of the US, both these countries are now acting in tandem on the developing situation.

This was reflected in the recently held meeting of the Executive Committee of foreign ministers of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation that called for “immediate cessation of the barbaric aggression of the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinian people and the immediate lifting of siege imposed on Gaza strip”.

The US has to blame itself for conceding space to China. China wants to fill the space by promising Belt and Road Initiative to the global south so that it could dominate the world economically. That would ultimately help it to replace the US as world power and do what the US is doing now. That is why China is gradually shifting the gears of its policy in the Middle East which are now just short of condemning Israel.

Reacting to the veto exercised by the US on a resolution moved by Brazil that was even supported by the US allies like France and Japan in UN Security Council on October 18 calling for a pause in Israeli bombardment, China alleged that “the US veto is stained with blood of innocent civilians, and it is a grave injustice”.

The “counterattack” launched by the Israeli government against Palestinians in Gaza, with American weapons, will inevitably result in killing of many innocent civilians, including women, children, old and sick. Some members of Hamas may also die.

But will it make Israelis safer? Will this end extremism among Palestinians and Israelis as well, which feed on each other? These are the questions Israelis must ask from their government.

In this changing geopolitical landscape, will it be possible for Arab countries to have normal relations with Israel anymore? Will the Arab countries be still dependent on the US for ensuring security of their autocratic regimes? As of now, it is difficult to answer many questions that arise from the present conflict.

But one thing becomes abundantly clear. When it comes to peddling fake news, the office of the US President is no exception. First it was Biden’s claim of having seen pictures of beheading of babies by Hamas, which was later retracted by white house. Now, it could perhaps be the attack on the hospital that has shifted world sympathy in favour of Palestinians.

The US must back its endorsement of the Israeli version by providing unedited satellite footage that its agencies must have captured. Otherwise, the US will have to contend itself with loss of international reputation, prestige and geopolitical clout.

Avinash Mohananey is former Director-General of Police of Sikkim. Views expressed here are the writer’s own.