Loading ...New Presidential Team May Usher in a New US Approach to the Middle East
By: Ghassan Rubeiz / Arab America Contributing Writer
Cultural understanding is critical to sound political judgment. If the US plans to stay deployed in the Middle East, the White House ought to recruit sufficient numbers of Americans with Muslim and Arab backgrounds. Currently, there are many White House top-level officials with a Jewish background, but not a single Arab American is in a top leadership post.
America’s leaders remain culturally distant from the Arab and Muslim world. Over the weekend, Americans focused on whom Kamala Harris would choose as her running mate. The debate about VP choice received more attention than our country’s brush with an all-out war in the Middle East. If the US and Iran do not work out a plan to avoid such unprecedented testing of wills, this regional war could flare up suddenly. Meanwhile, world attention to the suffering in Gaza is fading, even as the killing of civilians continues.
Washington has rarely listened to Iran. The Biden administration has ignored recent electoral developments in Tehran. The newly elected President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkhian had seriously campaigned to improve relations with the West and initiate internal reform within Iranian society. His victory indicates popular domestic support for improving relations with the outside world. His victory also suggests that Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and ultimate decision-maker, is also interested in trying to end the painful sanctions on Iran by softening relations with the West. If Iran’s overtures for dialogue are ignored, regrettably, it would not be for the first time. Iran’s new president vows balance with all countries but warns US his country won’t be pressured | AP News
Meanwhile, world attention to the suffering in Gaza is gradually fading, as the killing of civilians continues. Israel considers preemptive strike on Iran as tensions escalate: report (msn.com)
The US is rapidly being dragged into a devastating regional war in the Middle East by a fanatic, culturally isolated Israeli government. The current dangerous political climate merits careful selection of leaders in Washington.
After much speculation and digging into personal records, the VP vetting team has chosen Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota as Harris’ running mate. If Harris wins the presidential race she would be teaming up with an experienced and popular statesman. Walz’s record shows compassion for immigrants, workers, and children. He is soft-spoken and sensitive to the suffering in Gaza and the rights of the Palestinians.
Political observers speculated for nearly two weeks that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro had the best chance for the Democrats’ VP post. Shapiro met strong opposition from Harris’ funders and her inner political circle, who saw the popular governor of Pennsylvania as too conservative on the rights of workers, public education, environmental matters, and issues of justice for Palestinians.
The title of Abe Asher’s well-documented article (originally in Jacobin) is provocative: “Josh Shapiro Is a Terrible Choice for VP.” He argued that: Nominating Shapiro, while Israel is actively executing what the United Nations has said is likely a genocide, would be an unmistakable signal about how little Palestinian lives continue to matter to the people at the top of the Democratic Party. Josh Shapiro Is a Terrible Choice for VP (msn.com)
The selection of Walz suggests that Harris, if elected, would revisit US policy on Iran and the wider Middle East, particularly the urgency to rebuild Gaza and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Asher has confidence in Walz’s understanding of the international scene. He reports that “In an appearance on CNN on the evening of the Minnesota presidential primary in March, Walz complimented uncommitted voters as “engaged” and said they should be making their voices heard. “Take them seriously,” Walz said. “Their message is clear: that they think this [Gaza] is an intolerable situation and that we can do more, and I think the president is hearing that.”
Is Walz willing and capable of doing the heavy lifting to restore Palestinian rights in the current pro-Israel American landscape? Time will tell.
Perhaps it is time to quit hoping for a US president to do something significant for the future of Palestine. The solution for the Palestine problem should be largely in the hands of the Palestinians themselves – albeit with the full support of the Arab states. To gain independence and access to power, Palestinians must unite. Arabs must improve their political systems and Iran must open ideologically to forge good relations in the region and the wider world.
I expect Arab Americans to vote their conscience, regardless of which party they belong to. Perhaps there is a chance in the next administration for Jewish and Arab Americans to be working in harmony on the same White House team.
Ghassan Rubeiz is the former Middle East Secretary of the World Council of Churches. Earlier he taught psychology and social work in his country of birth, Lebanon, and later in the United States, where he currently lives. For the past twenty years, he has contributed to political commentary and delivered occasional public talks on subjects related to peace, justice, and interfaith. You can reach him at rubeizg@gmail.com
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab America. The reproduction of this article is permissible with proper credit to Arab America and the author.
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