American diplomats in Arab nations have conveyed the Biden administration scathing warnings that the U.S.’s strong backing for Israel and its fight against Hamas is generating a gap between the U.S. and Middle Eastern countries.
Based on discussions with a “wide range of trusted…contacts,” the U.S. embassy in Oman concluded in a cable that the United States is “losing badly” on messaging in Oman. For many, America’s unwavering backing of Israel during its conflict with Gaza is evidence of “possible war crimes.”
In a recent daily brief, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo reported that state-run Egyptian newspapers are slamming President Biden, calling his “disregard for Palestinians” worse than that of any prior U.S. president.
The United States is opposed to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, despite widespread support for such an arrangement among Arab states. According to the Americans, such an arrangement would only help Hamas by allowing them time to prepare for another attack on Israel like the one they conducted on October 7.
While the Biden administration has not yet asked for a ceasefire, the United States has successfully pressured the Israeli government to adopt “tactical localized humanitarian pauses” within Gaza for four hours every day. Every day there will be a break in the fighting, allowing residents of the Gaza Strip to seek refuge and facilitating the delivery of much-needed supplies.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken wore a protective vest during his recent visit to Iraq because anti-American sentiment has risen to such a fever pitch in the Middle East. Photos and videos of dead Palestinians, according to the governments of two key U.S. allies in the Middle East, Jordan and Egypt, have been building hostility among their people towards the United States. They have pleaded with the United States to pressure Israel to reduce or end its military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Over 200 people, including up to ten Americans, are still believed to be held prisoner by Hamas, according to Israeli officials.
