Unsuccessful attempts by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coerce Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel into endorsing a U.S.-backed peace proposal were evident, highlighting the ineffective foreign policy of the Biden administration. Even on the home stretch leading up to the U.S. Presidential elections, the administration was unable, or unwilling, to make substantial progress in the Middle East conflict. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks using American weaponry continue unabated, further inflaming the situation in Gaza.
Lebanon’s war is escalating, and the direct clashes between Israel and Iran could surge following the Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military sites. This entire situation serves as an indictment of the Biden administration’s foreign policy. Not only have they backed continuous Israeli offensives since the devastating Hamas assault last year, but they’ve also managed to alienate progressive voters in crucial battleground states and risk eroding their support among Arab and Muslim Americans who vehemently disagree with Biden’s unwavering support of Israel.
The slaying of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on October 16 by Israel seemed to present yet another crisis for the Biden administration. Eager to push for a rapid negotiated settlement to the conflagrations in both Lebanon and Gaza, where immense Palestinian casualties have occurred, the Biden administration saw Sinwar’s death as a window of opportunity. Yet, decades of historical evidence suggest peace is unlikely to happen overnight.
As the election drew nearer, Biden sent Antony Blinken to the Middle East with hopes of mediating the conflict. However, the impromptu nature of the trip suggested more reactive scrambling than well-calculated strategy. Ultimately, Blinken even skipped a planned stop in Jordan – a slight that may underline the administration’s lack of cohesive and transparent planning.
During his Middle East travels, Blinken ended up in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and surprisingly, London. He held meetings with officials from Lebanon, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates separately, most likely in an attempt to cobble together a semblance of coordinated action. His announcement in Doha that U.S. and Israeli negotiators would soon return to Qatar, aiming to resurrect hostage and cease-fire discussions with Hamas, seemed to ring hollow.
Despite high hopes pinned on potential post-Sinwar breakthroughs, such aspirations came crashing down almost instantly. Blinken departed from a Middle East hurtling towards further disorder and sliding into an even more unstable state. The Israeli fighter jets intending to target Iran were airborne as Blinken’s plane was traversing the Atlantic, clearly an indication of Israel’s disregard for U.S. efforts under the Biden administration.
During his trip, Blinken appeared to be more obsessed with managing the aftereffects of a post-conflict Gaza rather than genuinely resolving the situation. It was a clear sign of the Biden administration’s inability to articulate a concrete strategy. His comments to reporters in Doha about every country’s need to determine its role were deflated, and appeared more an abstract musing than effective leadership.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris, the vice president of the United States, seems to be a silent bystander. Despite Blinken’s initiatives, there is no evidence that his efforts would facilitate a truce prior to the U.S. Election. Netanyahu has displayed no substantial motive to end any wars before the election, alluding to his apparent disdain for Biden’s diplomacy.
Biden’s diplomatic efforts to rein in the Israel-Gaza conflict are in ruins. His administration’s objectives are utterly incompatible with those of Netanyahu and Sinwar, and his unwillingness to use military aid to Israel as leverage demonstrates his administration’s flawed approach. The Biden administration appears to be little more than a bystander, merely endorsing Israel’s right to self-defense without taking effective diplomatic steps.
Despite the administration’s assertion, the humanitarian condition in Gaza remains stark. The decrease in humanitarian aid into Gaza, especially in the North, has reached shocking proportions. This has led U.S. officials to issue a warning letter to the Israeli government, threatening a potential cut-off of U.S. military aid. This move exposes the hollow rhetoric of the administration on the issue of human rights and further alienates its global allies.
Moreover, Israel’s massive use of firepower resulting in significant civilian casualties has elicited widespread criticism from Democrats. Young Palestinian victims of an Israeli strike near a Gaza hospital are a testament to this tragic situation. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israel continues to disregard international pleas and strikes residential areas of Beirut to target Hezbollah.
Past efforts by the Biden administration to achieve a cease-fire have been utterly futile. The administration has given up the call for an immediate halt to the fighting. This suggest that Biden’s diplomatic maneuvering has been less about achieving peace and more about trying to sustain an illusion of control.
The idea of having a security force comprised of units from neighboring Arab countries in place for Israel to consider withdrawal is just another wild fantasy of the Biden administration. The reality is, without strong incentives or international pressure, Israel has little to gain from withdrawing.
The rebuilding from the ruinous conflict in Gaza would require tens of billions in funding, a fact that further highlights the devastating consequences of Biden’s inability to mitigate the conflict. With Iran gearing up for potential retaliation following Israel’s airstrikes, the region is witnessing an escalating spiral of tension and violence.
Overall, the Biden administration’s performance in managing the Israel-Gaza conflict and the broader Middle East instability is becoming a glaring example of inefficacy. As the U.S. presidential elections draw nearer, Biden and Harris’ approach to these critical global problems leaves much to be desired. Their inability to improve the Middle East’s dramatic situation – and perhaps even their role in exacerbating it – reflects a significant failure in diplomacy and leadership.