In the whole of the Middle East, a Lebanese newspaper chose to display President Biden’s face superimposed over pictures of dead Palestinian children, under a headline declaring “Western genocide.” In Egypt and some Persian Gulf states, once-bustling Starbucks and McDonald’s outlets sit empty thanks to a boycott of U.S. brands. In Beirut, Tunis, and other Arab capitals, protesters have marched on U.S. diplomatic missions, with some burning American flags, to express their fury at the staggering death toll in Gaza. People in the Middle East view Israel’s war as an American war. They believe that Israel relies on the diplomatic cover and high-tech munitions provided by the United States to carry out the massive operation it launched in Gaza to “eradicate Hamas”. The Arab world has experienced the largest youth cohort it has ever seen. This large group, which counts 60 percent of the region’s population under 30, is connected through social media, and their protests are not as vocal as they used to be. The war has pushed the United States from its moral high ground, thus affecting its dealings with the Middle East. The American University in Iraq sparked an uproar by imposing a ban on traditional woven scarves of the region, which include the black-and-white keffiyeh associated with Palestinians. This act drew strong criticism and backlash on social media. Arab youths use social media as a communication platform to express their solidarity with Palestinians. The United States became a party to the conflict by dispatching warships to support Israel before sending politicians or diplomats, according to Mohammed Obeid, a Beirut-based political analyst.
America Blamed for Israel’s War in Gaza Across the Middle East
