'Israel' support to lead US to more isolation, besmirched reputation
5 Min Read
US President Joe Biden's continuous support for the Israeli occupation will have severe repercussions on Washington's reputation all over the world.
-
Palestinians look at the destruction by the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah, occupied Palestine, December 4, 2023 (AP)
Three years into President Joe Biden's tenure, the United States' reputation in the international arena is going down a slippery slope due to its paramount support for the Israeli occupation in light of its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.
While the US allowed a UN Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid for Gaza, it abstained from the vote, diverging from key allies like the United Kingdom, France, and Japan, and having pushed forth resolutions backing the Israeli occupation previously despite international calls for a ceasefire already damaged its reputation.
The Biden administration's stance and its balancing criticism of the Israeli occupation's continued military support have led to a mixed international perception, to say the least.
Despite Biden's strong support for Ukraine against Russia, the prevailing narrative portrays the US as prioritizing certain issues over others and fostering a perception that it doesn't care about certain populations, i.e., the Palestinian people, as reported by AFP.
Public anger is rising, and the Arab world's opinion of the US has significantly deteriorated. Social media have played a crucial role in exposing the suffering in Gaza, leading to a perception of Washington's bias toward the Israeli occupation and neglect of Palestinian rights.
A survey in the Arab world revealed only seven percent believed the US played a positive role in the struggle. China, Russia, and notably Iran have gained favor in Arab opinion due to their support for Palestinians and the Palestinian cause.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged global focus on the Palestinian Resistance instead of focusing on the atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation, emphasizing the declared US efforts to provide assistance to Gaza.
This has reflected a hardline no-ceasefire approach within the United States, wherein not one Biden administration official has come out calling for a ceasefire in Gaza all to provide a veil for the Israeli occupation to commit its massacres there however it sees fit.
As dissatisfaction mounts in the Arab world among the people, especially in countries that have already normalized ties with the Israeli occupation and benefit from the US-provided security umbrella, Washington realizes that it is the regimes that matter, and so long as they are satisfied, the general sentiment will be impotent.
No call for ceasefire
US President Joe Biden spoke Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the ongoing war on Gaza, a day after the United States dished out more diplomatic support for the Israeli occupation.
The conversation came in light of the UN Security Council adopting a resolution on Friday, which has been repeatedly criticized as "watered down".
Netanyahu's office expressed gratitude toward the United States for its stance at the UN Security Council after it voted against yet another Gaza-relief-related resolution despite the resolution merely calling for the provision of aid to Gaza.
Furthermore, it emphasized Netanyahu's commitment to continue military operations until all of the Israeli occupation's objectives are achieved. The statement indicated a determination to persist in the aggression rather than seeking an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported on Friday that the US vetoed a Russian amendment to a UNSC resolution on Gaza calling for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities."
Following the US Veto, the United Nations Security Council voted instead to endorse a resolution demanding the "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale," under UNSC Resolution 2722. After numerous delays, the resolution also called for the development of "conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities," but it did not call for an immediate ceasefire.
Russia and the United States abstained, meaning it passed with 13 votes in favor, as Russia appealed for an immediate ceasefire.
While "Israel" continues to massacre civilians unpunished, US State Department officials are discreetly attempting to impede efforts to increase global pressure on the occupation.
State Department documents obtained by HuffPost indicate how US diplomats are finalizing a démarche to Switzerland that Washington hopes will cancel the preparations for an event to discuss Israeli violations of the Geneva Conventions in Palestine.
US forcing world to look away
Formal rulings that "Israel" breached the treaties in its US-backed war on Gaza would bring about a severe worldwide condemnation of both parties and would support the accusations of human rights groups that have amassed evidence that stands as proof of such violations.
Switzerland, which has always been neutral, decides when meetings of the parties concerned to discuss compliance take place.
According to State Department documents and a source familiar with the Palestinian effort, Palestinian diplomats and a group of UN member states, including some European nations allied with the US, are preparing a call for Switzerland to launch such a conference focused on the war in Gaza.
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists all endorse the urgent meeting. The Biden administration, however, plans on lobbying Swiss counterparts to stop the conference.
Internal memos obtained by HuffPost encourage US diplomats to express "serious concern" about the Palestinian initiative and present several counter-arguments.
Michael Sfard, an Israeli lawyer, expressed the true reason behind the US fears, saying, “Because America is supporting the Israeli campaign, it will be affected by anything that charges 'Israel' with crimes or demands that Israel adhere to something."
