US Efforts to Normalize Israel in the Middle East Expose Strategic Blindspots
Analyzing strategic missteps and oversights in American efforts to integrate Israel into the Middle Eastern political landscape.
From the strategic maneuvers of the Cold War and the intricate dance of oil politics to the rapid advancement of military technology, US efforts to strengthen and legitimize the Israeli state within the Middle Eastern framework have been a steadfast pillar of US foreign policy. The framework of the Israeli government offers the Western military-industrial complex an ideal environment for an array of international operations. The lack of a formal constitution permits an exorbitant amount of legal flexibility, resulting in rapid adaptations in policy and law, particularly when it comes to defense and intelligence.
Leaving aside the shoddy legality behind its inception and the fact that Israel is an openly ethnic Jewish state, the military contentions alone justify Arab opposition in the region. The Abraham Accords, brokered by the US under the Trump administration, attempted to counter this opposition. The accords marked a historic shift as they offered a pathway leading to formal normalization of Arab-Israeli relations. Prior to these accords in 2020, only Egypt (in 1979) and Jordan (in 1994) had established full diplomatic ties with Israel.
In the current US administration, Biden officials have been trying to wine and dine Saudi Arabia into the Israel-friends club. However it appears they’re missing some vital chapters from their Middle East history books. The Arab world cannot reasonably be expected to ignore the injustice Israel continues to impose upon the Palestinian people. Saudi Arabia specifically has demonstrated its allegiance to Palestine via the Arab Peace Initiative, a proposal in which Israel would withdraw from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Golan Heights. Of course, no one is holding their breath waiting for that to happen, well, besides the Palestinians.
Netanyahu’s government continues to expand into the West Bank in spite of opposition from the UN Security Council. Why the US is focusing efforts on trying to win over more Arab governments rather than pressuring Israel to curb this expansion raises serious questions concerning the competence of officials in the State Department. The US has been repeatedly cautioned against pushing the Arab world too far in its support for Israel against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Biden administrations recent efforts paint an unpleasant picture on the world stage.
-The Shultz Report by M. Shultz