Arab Allies Give President Biden the Cold Shoulder as Israel-Hamas War Escalates
Amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, President Joe Biden faced a setback as some of the United States’ closest Arab allies canceled a planned meeting with him. Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority scrapped a four-way summit with Biden in the Jordanian capital, Amman, less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to take place.
The abrupt cancellation came after a massive blast at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, which reportedly claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinians. While Palestinian officials accused Israel of the hospital blast, Israeli officials claimed it was caused by a misfired Islamic Jihad rocket. Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called the blast a war crime and said that the summit would not be able to stop the war.
Following the news of the hospital blast, anti-Israel protests erupted in countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Iran, Turkey, and Ramallah in the West Bank. Arab leaders are increasingly alarmed at the perceived bias towards Israel displayed by the Biden administration, causing them to distance themselves from the US President. This distancing is seen as an attempt to prevent domestic protests in their own countries as images of dead Palestinians circulate in the media.
Jordan, in particular, faces a delicate situation due to its large population with Palestinian roots. Egypt and Jordan have pushed back against a US plan to establish a safe corridor for Palestinians fleeing Gaza in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, fearing an influx of refugees. Jordan’s King Abdullah stated that the displacement of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt is a “red line” that they will not accept.
The idea of expelling Palestinians from their homes has been vehemently denounced by media outlets in the Arab world. They argue that it serves Israel’s interests to depopulate the Gaza Strip and potentially re-occupy it, leaving Palestinians homeless once again. Most Gazans are already refugees, with their ancestors originating from areas that are now part of Israel.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also spoke out against the idea of moving Palestinians to the Sinai, suggesting that Israel should take in the refugees instead. Sisi warned that the presence of Gazans in the Sinai could lead to anti-Israel militancy and prompt Israel to strike Egypt.
Timothy Kaldas, Deputy Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, explained that no Arab leader wants to be seen as facilitating the emptying of Gaza. As a result, leaders like Sisi are attempting to create distance from Western partners to avoid public criticism.
The cancellation of the summit and the increasing anger towards the US administration’s stance on the conflict highlight the deepening divide between Arab allies and the Biden administration. The situation presents a challenge for Biden as he seeks to navigate the complex dynamics of the Middle East and find a resolution to the ongoing crisis.