Israel is beginning to lose some of the unconditional Western support for its operations against Gaza. It is also losing some of the American silence regarding the excesses of the far right in the West Bank. Washington's calculations have become more complicated. It wants to support Israel, its historical ally, while not wanting to lose its Arab partners. Consequently, one of the key topics in the agenda of its chief diplomat during his tour of the region was to rein in Israel concerning the Palestinian Authority.
This American position was expressed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his meeting with the Israeli cabinet last Friday. Sources say that Blinken inquired about the fate of thousands of automatic rifles that Washington sent as part of military aid to Israel. Reports have reached the White House and the Departments of State and Defense indicating that Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir has distributed a significant portion of these rifles to far-right supporters and the religious Zionist movement in settlements in the West Bank.
According to American diplomatic sources, these reports have raised concerns within the American administration for several reasons, most notably:
- Washington fears that an escalation in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank could ignite a confrontation that would benefit Hamas.
- Additionally, a confrontation in the West Bank could deepen the crisis resulting from the conflict in Gaza, potentially spilling into the Arab regions within the 1948 borders.
- These actions could undermine the Palestinian Authority, which the Biden administration relies on to establish a political balance with Hamas in the Palestinian street.
Importantly, this coincided with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's refusal to transfer funds to the Palestinian Authority, prompting Blinken to request during the ministerial meeting last Friday that the funds be transferred as soon as possible.
The American administration is now accounting for the risks of undermining the Palestinian Authority and the repercussions that may have on its relations with Arab partners. Arab officials informed the American Secretary of State that they might seek to find a "serious international partner to restrain Israel if America is unable to do so." This was reported by a diplomatic source familiar with the meeting in Amman that brought Blinken together with six Arab ministers last weekend.
