Commentary
From the Middle East to Latin America and Europe, nations are taking sides in the Israel–Hamas crisis, altering the global balance of power.
Following reports of a hospital explosion in Gaza, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas canceled a meeting with President Joe Biden, as did King Abdullah II of Jordan and other Arab leaders. Brazil proposed a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn Israel’s retaliation against Hamas. Twelve of the council’s 15 member nations voted against the resolution, with the UK and Russia abstaining.
Even NATO members are finding themselves on opposing sides. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the United States for sending warships through the eastern Mediterranean, while Iran has threatened that the “resistance axis” could intervene. Israel has accused Turkey of supporting Hamas, while Iran is an official sponsor of not only Hamas, but also Hezbollah and various militias throughout the region.
Left-leaning governments in Latin America, such as Cuba, have historically sided with the Palestinians, putting them more in line with China and Russia. Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that Israeli attacks on Gaza were akin to what the Nazis had done to the Jews. Jerusalem responded by halting defense exports to Columbia, including Kfir fighter jets, surveillance equipment, and assault rifles. Columbia then threatened to break off diplomatic relations.
Chile condemned Israel, while Belize called for a two-state solution. Former President Evo Morales of Bolivia has expressed his support for the Palestinians, as has Venezuela. And Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira expressed dismay at Israel’s response. On the other side of the conflict, Argentina and El Salvador support Israel.
In Asia, Indonesia blamed Israel, as did Malaysia. Neither Indonesia nor Malaysia maintains diplomatic relations with Israel. Pakistan, a client state of China, condemned Israeli airstrikes. The EU said that Israel had the right to defend itself, but they’re also moving forward with aid to Gaza. Ireland said that Israel had violated human rights when shutting off power and water to Gaza. Norway similarly criticized Israel’s blockade of Gaza. And BRICS member South Africa took the Palestinian side.
Both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have been making efforts to deepen ties with the global South, as a way of countering the U.S.-led international order. Neither Mr. Putin nor Mr. Xi has condemned Hamas. Germany’s defense minister pledged support for Israel, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized Mr. Putin’s response to the war, which he called “cynical.”
China has said that Israel’s actions go beyond self-defense, and Russia has blamed the United States for the mounting death toll in Gaza. The coverage on Chinese state television focuses on Palestinian suffering and portrays the United States and Israel as perpetuating the conflict.
Almost none of the countries expressing support for Palestine has agreed to accept Palestinian refugees. Egypt has been willing to work with the United States to facilitate aid to Gaza through the Rafah crossing. On the Egyptian side, the aid preparations are being overseen by the U.N. Both Egypt and Jordan have refused to accept refugees. Egypt is already hosting 300,000 Sudanese refugees, so logistically it would be difficult to accept more.
At the same time, Cairo argues that by accepting Palestinian refugees, they would effectively be helping Israel to drive the Palestinians out of Gaza. This would then make Egypt and Jordan targets for extremists, or a base of operations for extremists launching attacks into Israel, disrupting regional peace.
Since the conflict began, there has been a notable increase in attacks on U.S. bases in Syria and Iraq. A U.S. Navy warship patrolling near Yemen intercepted three missiles and several drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Additionally, Hezbollah, another group with Iranian support, launched multiple missile barrages, leading Israeli authorities to advise citizens to evacuate areas along the Lebanon border.
It’s important to note that Hezbollah is regarded as a more formidable opponent than Hamas. If Hezbollah were to initiate an invasion or attack, it could quickly escalate the conflict, potentially requiring U.S. intervention. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned that Iran’s involvement may cause the conflict to spill over into other nations.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin prepare for a group photo with other leaders at the third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Oct. 18, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via Getty Images
During the Belt and Road Forum (BRI) held on Oct. 17–18, Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin expressed their concerns over the Palestinian situation and called for a two-state solution. However, they didn’t present a concrete plan to address the conflict or provide assistance to the Palestinians. The Taliban’s presence at the BRI Forum has raised concerns in the West, with accusations that Taliban fighters were planning to join Hamas on the battlefield.
It appears that Moscow and Beijing’s interest in the Palestine situation is more focused on building alliances against Washington than on peacefully resolving the Israel–Hamas conflict.
The conflict has pulled the United States back into the Middle East, a region from which it had hoped to disengage. This renewed focus on the Middle East is diverting attention from other critical areas, including NATO and the Ukraine conflict, as well as the U.S. shift toward countering China in the Indo-Pacific.
President Biden has expressed confidence in the United States’ ability to support all three areas simultaneously, but there’s a growing concern that these conflicts may merge into a broader, interconnected conflict. Nations are aligning themselves across all three regions and conflicts, blurring the lines between them.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
