Joe Biden’s address to the United Nations General Assembly was far from his intended masterpiece. He had initially hoped to use this platform to manifest a ceasefire in Gaza that would lead to the liberation of Israeli hostages. His intention was to pacify the hostility involving Israel and Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy war powerhouse that strongly asserts their attacks on Israeli borders as support for Hamas. Alas, a cemented agreement seems unlikely as Israel has moved to execute a full-scale cyber and aerial attack on Hezbollah. As a consequence, an unwelcome involvement of the US and Iran has been necessitated.
Meanwhile, global stability hangs in the balance as Russia escalates its violent instigation in Ukraine, reaching a critical juncture. Despite the increasing tensions, Biden mustered feigned optimism, insisting that potential solutions for these conflicts indeed exist, along with countering new threats like climate change and the rapid progression of artificial intelligence. However, the harsh reality is, any negative development in Gaza or Ukraine might undermine the UN’s conflict resolution capabilities and jeopardize US security.
Ironically, Biden’s foreign policies seem to be a modest improvement from the downright ineffectiveness of Donald Trump. Trump’s staunch support for Israel was stemmed less from the country’s security needs but instead largely for personal political traction. In fact, should Trump materialize a victor in the upcoming election, he is likely to hand over Ukraine to Vladimir Putin without missing a beat.
Despite the obvious shortcomings in managing the Israel situation, Biden unreasonably persisted in a stagnant narrative of achieving a cease-fire agreement without substantial alteration in the US strategy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alone opposes the prospect of such a deal, relentless in his efforts to undermine the cease-fire negotiations put forth by the US, Egyptian and Qatari teams, thereby leaving Hamas free to dismiss any proposition of negotiation.
The conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah is spiraling out of control and mandates urgent change in approach to the Gaza war, a requirement Biden’s speech regrettably did not address. Moreover, the UN too appears to have fallen short of developing the necessary resolution strategies for these escalating tensions.
Lebanon’s fate at the hands of the UN’s inert dealings is evidence enough. Iran, recognizing the growing weakness around them, has capitalized on this opportunity, rallying militias in the Middle East, including Hezbollah which is now believed to possess around 150,000 missiles. The United Nations Security Council’s failing is undeniable, having miserably failed to enforce Resolution 1701, which asked Hezbollah to hold their ground from the Israeli border to the Litani River, resulting in a much-needed buffer zone of 18 miles to keep Northern Israel safe. The failure has left Hezbollah’s power unchecked.
Living in Northern Israel has been reduced to survival. After the initial onslaught by Hamas on Oct. 7, Hezbollah joined the feud, driving tens of thousands of Israelis to flee their homes in Northern Israeli cities and towns. The count of displaced individuals is speculated to be nearing 70,000, many of whom continue to reside in makeshift accommodations.
The Israeli military’s assault on Hezbollah may stifle their efforts in the short run, yet it wouldn’t eradicate the persisting long-term threat. Possibly, only a diplomatic agreement could accomplish this, with the proposition to enforce the conditions of Resolution 1701, by creating a buffer zone and solidifying it with the backing of Arab nations and Security Council sanctions against Tehran, to coerce Iran into reignings its proxies.
Despite the existing criticality, significant progress is impossible to accomplish without significant steps towards the resolution of the Gaza issue. Arab nations that hold peace treaties with Israel remain perturbed by the horrific plight of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. Residents, finding themselves food, sanitation, and shelter deprived, are the primary victims here. Moreover, violent Israeli settlers have kicked up a storm in West Bank villages, while right-wing cabinet ministers from the extreme end push for Israel’s annexation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Dogged pursuit of this path could lead to an interminable cycle of Israeli-Palestinian violence, with each party embedded in a chaotic single state arrangement, and effectively exterminating any hopes for the two-state solution Biden has advocated for. This approach subsequently puts Israel’s peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt at risk.
What should be in place is an alternative solution that irons out the Gaza issue in a humane way while also securing Arab support to keep Hezbollah and Tehran in check. Intriguingly, more than half of the Israeli population, coupled with their military and intelligence officials, is in favor of a cease-fire-for-hostages deal.
The fruition of this cause would require Biden to exert an unprecedented amount of pressure on Netanyahu, in addition to the US backing strong UN resolutions against whichever party declines the Gaza deal. Alongside, equally important would be formidable pressure from the UN and Western nations on Iran.
Regrettably, Biden’s speech lacked any pointers to such a dramatic policy shift. With Trump’s anticipated victory looming, Netanyahu is in the driver’s seat, steering Israel’s policies as he sees fit with the belief of the clock ticking in his favor. However, Biden still holds the chance, within these three months of his tenure, to alter the course.
Biden’s UN Address Fails to Address Spiraling Israel-Hezbollah Tensions appeared first on Real News Now.
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