For the umpteenth time those who have been counting on the United States to play a competent peace-broker's role in the Middle East have been disappointed, because US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to the region last week not only failed to defuse the situation there but also prompted Israel Defense Forces to launch "precise and targeted" air strikes on targets in several places in Iran on Saturday, a day after he returned to the US.
Blinken's weeklong visit to Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, his 11th visit to the Middle East in one year ostensibly to mediate peace between the warring sides, ended in what in every sense of the term is a failure. The IDF's attack on Iranian targets has raised fears that the yearslong confrontation between the two powerful militaries could turn into an all-out regional war, drawing in the US and possibly other powers. Saturday's strikes, the IDF said, were in retaliation to Iran's missile attacks on Israel on Oct 1.
Since launching a massive military offensive on Lebanon-based Hezbollah two months ago, Israel has acted as if it was ready to take on any military or militia it deems an enemy. Under such circumstances, especially with the critical US presidential election just around the corner, Washington apparently feels the need to quell the boiling situation in the Middle East.
But except for the resumption of negotiations on the release of Hamas-held Israeli hostages, Blinken's latest trip yielded almost nothing, let alone a much anticipated cease-fire in Gaza, which many, the US included, saw as a possibility after Israel announced the assassination of Hamas military chief Yahya Sinwar.
With Israel assassinating top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in recent months, the international community thought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would stop his military recklessness. But what happened on Saturday shows how misplaced that perception was.
An Israeli-Iranian conflict would deal another devastating blow to the world, which is still coping with the humanitarian disaster Israel's brutal assault on the Gaza Strip has caused. It's high time the US told Israel to not prolong or spread the conflict, which has already claimed close to 50,000 lives, including Palestinian, Israeli and Lebanese lives.
It is an open secret that Washington's staunch support has encouraged Tel Aviv to let loose the brutal violence on the region. It is an open secret, too, that instead of repeatedly sending its top diplomat to the region, Washington could have helped end the conflict by stopping the supply of advanced weapons and military equipment and aid to Israel.
Last week, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Washington and Tel Aviv have begun implementing a $5.2 billion emergency aid package to bolster Israel's air defense system, which was part of the $8.7 billion military aid the US had approved in late September. As long as the US continues to favor Israel, there is no hope of the confrontations and conflicts ending in the Middle East.
The human cost of the conflicts is both staggering and appalling: In Gaza, more than 42,000 lives have been lost, a figure that represents about 2 percent of the Palestinian enclave's population. In Lebanon, the country's health ministry said the death toll over the past year is more than 2,500 — with over 12,000 wounded.
The only way to end the conflict is for the US to act responsibly and stop oiling Israel's war machine. This is not the time for symbolic gestures and sham diplomacy. It is a time to make sincere efforts to stop Israel's military adventure and end Palestinian people's suffering, and prevent the vicious circle of tit-for-tat retaliations. It is a time for the US to act humanely and restore peace by bringing Israel back to its senses.
