Will Pressure Change America’s Policy Position on the Palestinian Issue?

The results of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached a critical point as a result of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Pro Palestinian demonstrations sweeping across American Universities.

These reactions, which demand an end to the war and destruction in Gaza are among the most important political pressure cards that were formed at the moment of competition between Republicans and Democrats for the presidential elections, and in light of the silence of important regimes and governments in Europe, at a time when the number of Palestinian deaths reached approximately thirty-five and billions of dollars worth of infrastructure destroyed.

These protests also came in absolute rejection of the Biden’s administration’s support for Israel. However, the American Government continues to provide military and political support for Israel by using its veto in the Security Council and disrupting any resolution that expresses the will of the international community to stop this war.

The US extends significant political backing to Israel, leveraging its United Nations Security Council veto power in 42 instances out of 83, to thwart resolutions condemning Israel, alongside financial and military aid. This also harms and even weakens American interests in the Middle East.

 We are facing a mass movement that emerged from within American opinion-forming universities and leadership preparation centers, expressing their opinions with boldness as their fundamental human right. However, the response of the American authorities to these protests is unfair and does not suggest that America really cares about preserving democracy and respect for human rights.

The war in Gaza has created a state of turmoil within the most prestigious universities in America, including Harvard, Massachusetts, Columbia, Pennsylvania, and about 75 other universities. This great movement has extended to the universities and institutes of France, Britain, and many decision-making and opinion-making circles. 

The question now is: Will these protests organized by students, academics, and citizens lead to a radical or at least partial change in the current American foreign policy towards the region, specifically in Palestine?

 What is happening in Gaza is a real test to the United States regarding the crucial issues and the Arab-Israeli conflict, especially since there are those who believe that American policy is very biased towards Israel, considering that this is part of its strategy and its established policy towards the Middle East, while others believe that there is  a verbal or formal change in exerting some pressure on Israel and preventing it from storming Rafah or minimizing civilian casualties in order to absorb anger towards America. However, the support in the billions of dollars Israel receives from the United States indicates Its support for Israel.  

Will these protests organized by students, academics, and citizens lead to a radical or at least partial change in the current American foreign policy towards the region, specifically in Palestine?

From my point of view, the change in American policy at the present moment towards Gaza is based on two foundations, the most important of which is: the continuation of protests inside universities, including Columbia. The other is the continuation of Arab pressures to prevent the invasion of Rafah and calls for negotiations that lead to a comprehensive cessation of aggression and the start of reconstruction of Gaza Strip.  

 Historically, as with the Vietnam War or considering the coming elections in the United States and other things, these protests can lead to American policy adjustments in the Middle East, but this depends on whether or not the protests are allowed to continue and not suppressed. 

Many indicators suggest that there is pressure being exerted against the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Biden to stop the aggression and work out a two-state solution. 

In fact, as much as I bet that there is a broad impact of these protests on the Palestinian issue, this change will not meet the ambition of the long and deep friendship and relationship  between America and some Middle Eastern countries due to the influence of Israel on American decision-making circles, and this is taken for granted, as these lobbies are an expression of industrial society.  The military, oil, and giant companies and the dominance of these groups over the American media machine. However, I think that minor amendments will occur to these policies because change is a difficult and complex process in a country like America and in an issue like the Palestine issue.

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Dr. Taha Hussein Al-Hamdani is a Guest Contributor to the Sixteenth Council Insights based in Yemen