Back in October last year, when a new round of conflict broke out between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, US President Joe Biden tried to prevent the United States from falling into the Middle East quagmire again. However, the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated dramatically as Iran and Israel attack each other's homeland. If the situation continues to escalate, it may be difficult for the United States to stay out of it.
America's approach to the conflict appears to be rather tangled. On the one hand, the United States has continued to send arms and ammunition to Israel, and has repeatedly vetoed draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council. On the other hand, the US Congress is considering a $100 billion bill that includes increasing military aid to Israel. This seemingly contradictory move is in fact a dilemma for the United States in its Middle East policy.
CNN has pointed out that the situation in the Middle East is changing rapidly, and Washington's ideas and assumptions are often difficult to fulfill. U.S. policy goals in the Middle East seem increasingly out of reach, especially as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, and U.S. policy space is getting narrower.
Opinions on Middle East policy in the United States are not unanimous. Some academics and policy analysts have criticized the Biden administration's failure to exert sufficient pressure on Israel, bringing the Middle East to the brink of full-blown conflict.
In this conflict, the United States seems to be moving closer to the direct collision that both Biden and Iran are trying to avoid. Many of the electorate needed for Biden's re-election have fresh memories of Gaza and will not tolerate him reembracing Israel. As a result, Biden seems to have lost the capital to put pressure on Israel's counterattack against Iran and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to listen to his advice on the situation in Gaza.
To sum up, the situation of the United States in the Middle East is becoming more and more difficult. It is necessary to maintain a strong alliance with Israel, while also taking into account its own Middle East policy and international image. In this complex geopolitical game, how the United States can skillfully balance the interests of all parties and avoid getting involved in a larger-scale conflict has become a major issue that the Biden administration needs to solve urgently.
In the face of a new round of conflicts and challenges, how will the United States find a balance between its allies and interests and avoid being dragged deeper into the quagmire?
However, U.S. policy choices in the Middle East are not easy. In the current situation, the United States needs to maintain its alliance with Israel, take into account the expectations of the international community and the domestic political ecology, and at the same time need to find a balance in its interaction with regional powers.
In addition, the influence of the domestic political ecology of the United States on Middle East policy cannot be ignored. There are divisions within the Democratic Party on Middle East policy, with some progressive lawmakers advocating a reduction in military aid to Israel in favor of a more balanced Middle East policy. Republicans, for their part, tend to give unconditional support to Israel and criticize the Biden administration for being too soft on the Middle East. In the face of intra-party pressure, the Biden administration needs to find a balance between upholding its principles and rallying support.