Blinken goes begging
Ukrainian president Zelensky must be wringing his hands over the way his war is being eclipsed by events in Gaza. To be sure, yesterday Western media posted several feature articles about him and his colleagues in the Kiev government but none that would bring him pleasure. We read about the negativity of Time magazine in its latest article on the Ukrainian ‘counter-offensive.’ It would appear from the magazine that Zelensky is one of the few remaining believers in eventual victory even in his inner circle. We read about the lengthy interview his Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces General Zaluzhny gave to The Economist, notable for describing the present state of the conflict with Russia as a ‘stalemate.’ This is hardly a good basis for winning new appropriations and arms deliveries from the United States and its allies.
However, as I say, our news was dominated by developments in Gaza not Ukraine, and in particular by Israeli bombing of the Jabalya refugee camp a second time, adding to the hundreds of dead and wounded from the terror unleashed by Tel Aviv the day before. CNN, the BBC and other major Western broadcasters interviewed President Isaac Herzog and also top Israeli military spokesmen for clarifications and what they, and we, heard was shocking for its callous disregard of international conventions to protect civilians. Two hundred or more Palestinian children, women and old men were killed instantly when Israel sought to murder one key Hamas officer believed to have his headquarters under the camp. For the Israeli military spokesman interviewed this was just a “tragedy of war.” Even the hard-hearted Wolf Blitzer of CNN was visibly stunned by these politically incorrect and, incidentally, inhumane remarks.
In short, both the scenes of the intensifying humanitarian catastrophe and the ugly face of the Israeli government were on television screens for all to see on U.S. and European media, not just on Russian television or Al Jazeera. That the “Arab street” was enraged and pressing rulers in the Middle East to DO SOMETHING to stop the bloodshed is clear. But even the fall-out in the American Jewish community, not to mention the broad American public, began to look ominous for the re-election chances of Joe Biden.
Before the tragic scenario in Gaza approached its crescendo, on 1 November the former Washington bureau chief of The Financial Times Edward Luce contributed an article to the paper entitled “Netanyahu is an albatross around Biden’s neck” in which he argued that Biden has done his best to temper the vengeful behavior of Netanyahu. Biden is said to have counseled restraint when he visited Israel a week ago. Said Luce, Biden is just unable to bring influence to bear on the Israeli premier. The article was obviously believed to be so insightful by the editors that they ran it a second day.
I have little doubt that Luce’s article was read closely within the American administration. After all, Americans admire British journalism because the Brits usually have a better mastery of the language and because as the formerly dominant global colonial power they are worldly wise by definition.
In any case, the FT’s conclusion that Biden wasn’t up the task had consequences. The number one news item this morning on major Western media was the departure of Secretary State Antony Blinken for Israel where his stated mission is to press the Israelis to make “humanitarian pauses” in their onslaught to facilitate the release of the hostages held by Hamas and an increased flow of trucks bringing food, medicine and water into the enclave from Egypt.
What is missing from these accounts is exactly what leverage Blinken has that his boss lacked. It is certainly not intellect. And it is doubtful he can use the one device that would do the job: to threaten to stop U.S. shipments of arms and replacement missiles for the Iron Dome if the Israelis do not take orders and desist. No, the U.S. is doing the exact opposite: making the Israeli war its own by sending not only naval task forces to the Eastern Mediterranean to ensure air dominance and effective anti-missile protection for U.S. assets in the region while Israel plays at arson but also boots on the ground. It is rumored that the U.S. has already delivered 6,000 men at arms to Israel. The only thing missing in all this is an American strategy, a clearly defined end objective that can be explained to the American electorate and negotiated to successful conclusion with all sides, Israel included. If this sounds like a compounded version of the ongoing military and political shambles of U.S. policy on Ukraine, it is because the same authors in Washington have written both scripts.
©Gilbert Doctorow, 2023