As the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza has deepened, international institutions have failed even to secure a brief humanitarian pause to safeguard the lives of over ten thousand Palestinian civilians, a substantial majority of whom are women and children. While the peoples of the region have long been aware of the United States’ support for Israel, for the first time in decades, they found themselves trying to reconcile their preconceptions of the United States as a civilized champion of international norms, human rights, and humanitarian laws, with the Biden’s administration’s unwavering defense of Israel amidst its retaliatory invasion of Gaza, without any restrictions or conditions.
Since the beginning of the crisis, it has become abundantly clear that Washington had lost its ability to calibrate its moral compass and comprehend the context and evolution of the October 7 attack. U.S. officials swiftly rushed to the aid of Tel Aviv, both financially and morally, and deployed U.S. military vehicles to the region. These measures, along with the decision to level three rounds of sanctions against Hamas leaders, has demonstrated to allies and adversaries that the United States has abandoned its stance of objective neutrality. It has not only forfeited its role as a global superpower dedicated to conflict resolution, but as Israel’s key partner, it has also implicated itself in the loss of innocent Palestinian civilian lives.
Washington’s failure to assess the scale of Israel’s military response to the October 7 operation to determine the security of Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages, before pledging its political and military support, only increased popular outrage across the Middle East. In defiance of both regional and international opposition, the U.S. continues to justify the genocide of Palestinians by asserting Israel’s right to “self-defense”, and by endorsing the misleading Israeli narratives of what transpired on October 7 while dismissing alternative accounts. Instead of seeking to contain the crisis by enforcing binding UN resolutions, the United States has consistently vetoed every international call for an immediate ceasefire. This abuse of its international leadership position not only allowed Israel to continue its atrocities but also resulted in the U.S. isolating itself from the realities on the ground.
Now over month into the conflict, after thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the Biden administration is forcing the world to face an unprecedented moral dilemma. Many peoples and governments, especially Arab and Muslim communities, have become disillusioned with international law. As long as it is enforced by the “world’s policeman”, with Israel as its favored ally, they see that international law will be unable to protect the vulnerable in times of conflict. This newfound mistrust has been reinforced by the catastrophic scenes of innocent Palestinians in Gaza, deprived of water, food, medicine, and fuel, while enduring bombardment from land, sea, and air.
Even more disappointing is that opinion polls among American officials continue to affirm their support for the current U.S. stance on the Gaza conflict, believing that it won't jeopardize the nation's future security. This persistence clearly demonstrates a lack of ability to learn from past mistakes in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. As the U.S. faces increasing international isolation, all Americans are threatened: the Biden administration’s current trajectory puts the United States at risk of losing its diplomatic capabilities, as well as fueling deep animosities that could manifest in cross-border terrorism. International and regional alliances could also be transformed in unprecedented ways, potentially jeopardizing Washington's economic relations while affording its competitors newfound commercial and strategic gains.
It is thus imperative that Washington take the initiative to support a just resolution to the Palestinian issue, and reassess its arrogant, power-driven policies—before it finds itself alienated by near and distant allies alike.
Mohsen Hassan is an Egyptian academic researcher and journalist. His work focuses on conflict, development, and political Islam in the Middle East and Africa. He is a research associate at several Arab and international research centers. Follow him on X @twittmohsen2011.
