“If there was no Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect its interests in the region. » These were the words of then-Senator Joe Biden as he defended U.S. support for Israel during a congressional debate on Middle East arms sales in 1986.
At the time, he clearly did not see the possibility of a conflict of interests between Israel and the United States. Ironically, 38 years later, his presidency would highlight the extent to which American regional interests no longer aligned with the behavior of the Israeli government.
The Biden administration has given Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carte blanche to do whatever he wants, not only in Gaza, but throughout the Middle East. Netanyahu is doing everything he can to stay in power in order, which means prolonging the Israeli war in Gaza and expanding Israeli aggression into Lebanon, Yemen and even Iran.
This wreaked havoc in the Middle East and directly damaged U.S. foreign policy interests in the region.
American strategic interest
The Middle East is of major strategic importance to the United States. It is home to vast oil and natural gas reserves that are critical to the U.S. economy and the U.S.-dominated global economy. Any disruption to the region’s oil or gas supply could have unprecedented consequences for global energy security.
This is why the United States favored relative political stability in the region, particularly after its invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the occupation of Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021 demonstrated how adventurism military can be dangerous and costly in the region.
Since the first Obama administration, the United States has pursued a national security strategy aimed at reducing its responsibilities and stabilizing the region in order to withdraw and focus its resources on China and Russia, perceived as more pressing threats. Under this policy, Washington is working to integrate Israel with its Arab neighbors, establishing a Middle East security arrangement similar to NATO and strengthening economic ties through initiatives such as the Economic Corridor India-Middle East-Europe.
The Biden administration’s national security strategy continued this policy, announcing the end of the combat mission and withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq, as well as continued efforts to expand Arab-Israeli normalization.
But the US withdrawal from the Middle East was put on hold indefinitely, when Biden pledged unconditional support for Israel in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack. Washington has been forced to increase its military presence in the region and spend more than $22 billion in military aid to the Israeli army and its own military operations to support it. This unconditional commitment to Israel undermines the United States’ long-term strategy of focusing on Russia and China and providing more military aid to Taiwan, Ukraine, South Korea, and Japan.
Netanyahu first, US second
For nearly 15 months now, the United States has mobilized its political, diplomatic, economic and military capabilities to support Israel. It has deployed navy ships, aircraft carriers and troops to the Mediterranean and Red Seas and engaged in direct military activity in the region to help protect Israel.
On the international stage, he has provided unprecedented support for the Israeli government, attacking and defunding international institutions, undermining the UN, and pressuring allies not to give in to outrage. of the public facing the genocide. US officials have wholeheartedly defended Israel’s massive war on Gaza, which has killed at least 45,000 civilians, the majority of them children and women, displaced 1.9 million people in the Gaza Strip and destroyed civil infrastructure, schools and hospitals.
The United States supported Israel as it attacked and devastated Lebanon, killing more than 4,000 people, and as it invaded Syria, occupying even more territory in the country’s south. He supported the Israeli provocation against Iran: the bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus and the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. He approved the Israeli bombardment of Yemen, which caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure and disrupted deliveries of crucial humanitarian aid.
Israel’s unbridled aggression has been driven by Netanyahu, who believes that prolonging and fueling multiple conflicts, making Israelis feel insecure and satisfying his far-right allies will help him stay in power. Since he has been accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes, continuing as prime minister is the only way for him to benefit from immunity from prosecution. His controversial decision-making led to deep political divisions between different actors in Israel, causing an unprecedented societal divide.
Yet Biden continued to support Netanyahu, essentially putting him first – ahead of all US policy priorities in the region.
A destabilized region
All this has plunged the Middle East into turmoil that will have long-term consequences. The Iranian response to Israeli provocations – by launching two massive missile attacks on Israel – was unprecedented. This brought the region to the brink of war. And even if for the moment Tehran seems to favor de-escalation, there is no guarantee that a new cycle will not take place between the two sworn enemies, plunging the Middle East into a regional conflict.
Such a war would involve the intervention of multiple state and non-state actors, destroying the economies of the Gulf states and creating a political quagmire for Washington.
Even if such a scenario were avoided, Israel’s uncontrollable aggression encourages regional actors to arm themselves. The militarization of the region cannot be limited to conventional weapons. Already in May, Kamal Kharrazi, advisor to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had warned that “if the existence of Iran was threatened, there would be no other choice but to change the military doctrine (of Iran). In other words, Iran’s motivation to acquire nuclear weapons is growing, as is public support for it.
Years of international negotiations aimed at ensuring Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful are being thrown out the window due to US support for Netanyahu’s aggressive behavior in the Middle East. It also harms global efforts to counter nuclear proliferation, as other regional powers – notably Saudi Arabia and Turkey – may also begin to think seriously about nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, global oil and gas supplies remain vulnerable. The Houthis continue their attacks on ships bound for Israel and its allies in the Red Sea, threatening the smooth flow of energy resources and other goods. Their demand to end the war in Gaza has not been met.
Bab al-Mandeb, where the Houthis operate, as well as the Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz are key maritime passages through which almost 40% of the world’s oil supplies pass. If Netanyahu is allowed to continue his escalation in the Middle East, it could lead to major disruptions in these three choke points. The consequences for the United States and the rest of the world would be disastrous.
Beyond the risks of regional war and global economic crisis due to soaring oil prices, Biden’s “Netanyahu first” policy threatens the world order. To defend and protect Israel, his administration has defied the decisions of global political platforms such as the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and the legal arm of the UN – the International Court of Justice – aimed at stopping the war in Gaza.
The status of the United States as host of the UN headquarters and purported guarantor of the international legal order and human rights has been exposed as a mistake. His behavior erodes the credibility of the post-World War II system he helped create and maintain and risks its collapse.
In short, Biden’s insistence on unconditional support for Israel has been a disaster for American foreign policy. In his blind belief in an immutable alliance, the embattled US president may well have dealt the worst blow to US strategic interests in the Middle East in years.
“There’s no excuse to make, none, this is the best $3 billion investment we’re making,” Biden said in 1986 during his speech. As his term draws to a close, the US president might do well to reflect on his shameless stance that has cost his own people billions of dollars in potential investments in social services and destroyed a strategy of national security in the works for years – while supporting Netanyahu’s genocide.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Tel Aviv Tribune.
