US stance on Israeli-Palestinian conflict under fire, threatens regional stability

CAIRO -- Amid the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict and growing global calls for de-escalation and increased humanitarian aid for Gaza, US President Biden's request to Congress for $14.3 billion in military assistance to Israel has raised concerns.

Biden argued on Friday that this move would enhance Israel's security. However, analysts and critics worry that it could increase uncertainty in the Middle East, potentially harming Israeli security that Biden claimed to protect.

Washington's foreign policy on the Palestinian issue has impeded the early resolution of the conflict, according to Middle Eastern political watchers, who warned that allowing the current hostilities in Gaza to persist will only intensify the vicious cycle of hatred and confrontation between Israel and Palestine, making it more difficult to achieve peaceful coexistence in the long run.

DOMESTIC, INT'L BACKLASH

More than two weeks into the deadly conflict, the United States has not only bolstered its military presence in the Middle East but has also provided extensive military aid to Israel. Additionally, it has twice used veto power at the United Nations Security Council to block resolutions concerning the situation in Palestine.

These actions have stirred criticism, leading to protests both at home and abroad, including the resignation of Josh Paul, a senior official from the US State Department, who believed the US government's actions "an impulsive reaction" based on "intellectual bankruptcy."

The resigned official told US media that many of his colleagues in the federal government and Congress shared similar sentiments and fully understood his decision to resign.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also acknowledged in a message last week to all State Department employees that the Israel-Hamas conflict had resulted in disagreements among US diplomats, presenting both professional and emotional challenges.

Internationally, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya accused the United States of "hypocrisy" and "double standards" after Washington vetoed Russia's draft calling for an immediate ceasefire and Brazil's draft calling for humanitarian pauses to allow full, safe and unhindered access for United Nations agencies and their partners.

Brazilian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Sergio Danese expressed deep disappointment over the Brazilian draft's failure to pass, and French Permanent Representative, Nicolas de Riviere, also voiced regret.

US actions since the beginning of the conflict have also sparked protests globally, with citizens in multiple countries expressing their discontent. Demonstrations outside US embassies in Jordan and Lebanon featured anti-US slogans, while protests in Tehran saw the burning of Israeli and US flags.

In the United States, hundreds of protesters packed the US House of Representatives office building, calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine and leading to arrests by the police.