'New Middle East War' Biden's Diplomatic Test Ahead of Presidential Election (Comprehensive)

Will Israel Be Covered... On Edge About Visit Decision

The escalation of armed conflict between Israel and Palestine has put U.S. President Joe Biden's foreign policy to the test. With next year's presidential election approaching, President Biden, facing a new challenge, is showing a willingness to support allied countries while avoiding direct intervention.

On the 15th (local time), President Biden stated in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" that "(Palestinian armed group) Hamas and its extremist elements do not represent all Palestinian people," and when asked if he supports Israel reoccupying the Gaza Strip, he warned, "That would be a big mistake."

This remark came amid Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a joint visit. According to local Israeli media, Netanyahu conveyed the invitation during a phone call with President Biden the previous day, but Biden has not yet decided whether to visit.

The U.S. political news outlet Axios reported, "The focus of President Biden's visit to Israel would be to express support for Israel, which is at war with Hamas, and to warn against the involvement of pro-Iran armed groups." However, the U.S. government has not officially confirmed any plans for Biden's visit to Israel. Adrian Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC), said, "There are no new foreign trips to announce."

The Israel-Palestine armed conflict has caused a major setback to President Biden's plans to build diplomatic achievements in the Middle East ahead of next year's election. He has been mediating the normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel to showcase diplomatic success. The establishment of the 'India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC),' a core pillar of Biden's Middle East diplomatic restructuring, requires the essential link of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Amid ongoing armed clashes between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel, a house in Ashkelon, southern Israel, was damaged by a rocket attack launched from the Gaza Strip on the 15th (local time). On the Jewish Sabbath, the 7th, Hamas conducted airstrikes on Israel and took many civilians hostage.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

If anti-Israel sentiment intensifies due to this war, it will inevitably have repercussions on Biden's Middle East diplomacy. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) pointed out, "As the Israel-Palestine armed conflict escalates, President Biden's reelection campaign, already struggling with low approval ratings, is also being tested." It added, "The administration is weighing how far to define U.S. interests and how much support to provide to its ally, Israel."

The U.S. has historically played the role of 'mediator' in the long-standing Middle East conflict, but this clash has brought the Israel-Palestine peace process to a crisis point. Since Israel's establishment in 1948, it has fought four wars with neighboring Egypt but has restrained armed conflict since signing the peace agreement known as the Camp David Accords in 1979. Subsequent peace efforts, including the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, the 1990s Oslo Accords, and the 1995 Jordan Peace Treaty, were all led by U.S. diplomacy. In 2000, President Bill Clinton also invited leaders from both Israel and Palestine to Camp David to pursue Middle East peace negotiations. However, after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the U.S. became embroiled in the War on Terror, and with Syria, Libya, and Yemen descending into civil war and anarchy, U.S. influence in the Middle East began to wane.

Washington's political circles and public opinion are divided over U.S. support for its longtime ally Israel. Foreign media have pointed out that even within the Democratic Party, cracks are widening regarding support for Israel's right to self-defense. On the same day, The New York Times (NYT) editorialized, urging the U.S. government to "stop repeating the empty phrase 'two-state solution' and end financial, military, and diplomatic support for Israel." Republican Senator Marco Rubio expressed concern, saying, "It could take months to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine," and warned, "There will inevitably be significant costs associated with U.S. military support for Israel."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.