Akbar Siddiqui
U.S. President Joe Biden has acknowledged that ending the conflict in the Middle East will remain challenging, even after the potential death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. His comments reflect the recognition that Sinwar’s death alone won’t bring an immediate resolution. “We believe there’s a path to peace, but it’s going to be difficult. Still, we’re all aligned,” Biden said following talks in Berlin with the leaders of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
However, the ongoing U.S. support for the Israeli government, particularly under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, complicates any peace efforts. Critics argue that as long as the U.S. backs Israel’s military operations and supplies arms, achieving peace will be impossible, regardless of commitments from other world leaders. U.S. dominance in global politics, particularly its military and financial support for Israel, prevents other nations from standing up for the oppressed.
Over a year of relentless Israeli military actions against unarmed Palestinian civilians has resulted in the deaths of over 41,000 innocent people, with the world watching as if nothing is happening. The destruction of Gaza, parts of the West Bank, and Lebanon, funded by U.S. tax dollars, has been met with repeated failure to secure a ceasefire, largely due to the U.S.’s unwillingness to pressure Israel. Critics believe that Netanyahu’s hold over U.S. decision-makers makes a ceasefire almost impossible unless the U.S. administration takes a stronger stance.
Netanyahu is playing a waiting game, hoping that Donald Trump returns to power after the next U.S. election. Netanyahu believes he has a special relationship with Trump, which could lead to policies more favorable to Israel. For ordinary citizens, like us, it makes little difference who is elected—whether it’s Harris or Trump—when it comes to U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. U.S. politicians often demonstrate their loyalty to Israel before their own country, which is why many United Nations resolutions supporting Palestine have failed due to a lack of genuine commitment from U.S. leaders.
Ultimately, violence cannot end violence. History has shown that peace can only be achieved through sincere political negotiations, not through military domination or the elimination of leaders. This lesson, ignored time and time again, continues to play out in conflicts like the one in the Middle East.
