For seven months, Israel has continued its targeted slaughter of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – the total number of dead and wounded, including those still under the rubble of homes, is approaching 130,000. Prime Minister Netanyahu continues this slaughter with Washington’s blessing, although outwardly the Americans say that they are trying to put pressure on the Israeli authorities to somehow help the Palestinian civilians.
In fact, the Americans have effectively blocked the work of the Security Council by using their veto power to reject all resolutions for an immediate ceasefire, thereby giving Israel a “free hand” in continuing to massacre the Palestinians.
No matter what US officials say about the many attempts to persuade Israel to limit military action, in fact Washington has continued to provide the Netanyahu government with new arms shipments without any delays, and has pushed through Congress legislation to provide Tel Aviv with an additional $26 billion in aid.
All this went on to the accompaniment of talk of Washington’s desire to create a new military pact in the Middle East as a long-term solution to the problems there.
According to the American press, talks have recently accelerated between Washington and Riyadh on a pact that would provide the kingdom with security guarantees and pave the way for possible diplomatic relations with Israel if its government ends the war in Gaza. The US press says the agreement could be finalized within weeks.
In doing so, the US promises to give the world’s largest oil exporter access to advanced US weapons that were previously banned. In return, the Saudi authorities must agree to limit the use of Chinese technology in their country’s most sensitive networks in exchange for major American investments in artificial intelligence and quantum computing, as well as receive American aid to develop its civilian nuclear program. It is indicated that the US and Saudi Arabia will offer Israel a series of economic and diplomatic incentives if it scraps plans to invade Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge, and quickly ends the war with Hamas. Israel is expected to pledge support for a two-state solution.
While at first the plan was to reach a three-way US-Israeli-Saudi agreement, Washington now says that the US and the Saudi Kingdom should first agree and then invite Israel to join them: if they agree, Netanyahu would have to end the war in the Gaza Strip and decide on the creation of a Palestinian state, which his cabinet opposes.
All these arguments are more like wishful thinking, especially since Netanyahu has warned that he is ordering the invasion of Rafah no matter what. And one of his government’s extreme right-wing ministers, B. Smotrich, even called for “the total destruction of Rafah and other cities.”
According to the Turkish press, this scenario is unlikely, although the Americans are exerting unprecedented pressure on Arab capitals to support the project they are promoting. In fact, Western states are directly threatening Arab governments: because of this dependence, no Arab government is daring to raise its voice in favor of sanctions against Israel.
Colombia (population 50 million), the second largest Latin American state, just announced that it is breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel and stopping the purchase of military equipment from that state. This decision was a silent rebuke to those Arab states that, under the strongest pressure from the United States, not only did not break relations with Israel, but did not even ask for the departure of Israeli ambassadors.
Washington is essentially defying the majority of humanity, which rightly believes that Israel is responsible for the war in the Middle East. However, the US maneuvers to defy public opinion by trying to blame the Arabs. Secretary of State Blinken went to the extreme level of cynicism when he said that Hamas “is the only obstacle to a cease-fire in Gaza”.
Moreover, according to the Washington Post, the Americans have demanded that the state of Qatar expel Hamas leaders from its territory unless they accept Israeli conditions.
Meanwhile, the Arab public is reacting violently and harshly – McDonald’s and other American establishments are being boycotted in many countries; demonstrations against Israeli aggressive actions continue. In some ways, they echo the actions of students at major American universities, who have been holding demonstrations in support of Palestine for several days in a row (by the way, the number of arrested students in various American states is approaching 2,000, and their movement is gaining momentum).
Each new day brings reports of dead and wounded Palestinians, and world public opinion is increasingly sensitive to this tragedy. It is for these reasons that many Arab newspapers believe that the US plans in the Middle East are not destined to come to fruition.
Vladimir Mashin, Candidate of Historical Sciences, political observer, exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook”
