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Washington Re-establishes Middle East Alliances

Biden boarded Air Force One on his way to the region on Tuesday evening (AP)
Biden boarded Air Force One on his way to the region on Tuesday evening (AP)
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Washington Re-establishes Middle East Alliances

Biden boarded Air Force One on his way to the region on Tuesday evening (AP)
Biden boarded Air Force One on his way to the region on Tuesday evening (AP)

Re-establishing US-Arab relations, breaking the stalemate in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, and strengthening the alliance facing Iran are some of the key topics figuring high on the agenda of US President Joe Biden's visit to the region.

Expanded tasks that the US administration has presented to itself in the region, which Biden addressed in his July 9 article in the Washington Post, calls into question the chances of success in achieving some or all of the goals in light of an increasingly complex and ambiguous international situation.

Although Biden’s article talked about the easing of the pressure that the region has been experiencing in the past few years, deep doubts surround the progress that might be made by the tour that includes Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia.

Each of these stations has its own concerns.

In Israel, Biden will try to reassure Tel Aviv of US support for Israeli security, especially considering its confrontation with Iran.

The Israeli government today has distanced itself from internal US political disputes, unlike what former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did.

Netanyahu had publicly sided with one side against another in matters of US elections. He supported candidates whom he saw as supporters of Israel, especially regarding the Iran's nuclear.

Netanyahu’s position had seriously hurt US-Israeli relations, forcing his successors, Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, to seek fixing the damage by returning to Israeli neutrality regarding US domestic policy.

Similar conditions apply to Palestinian relations with Washington.

Former President Donald Trump to Israel had moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, stopped aid to the Palestinian National Authority and closed the representative office of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Washington.

In his Washington Post article, Biden talked about the resumption of aid to Palestinians, amounting to $500 million annually, and the resumption of relations with Ramallah.

However, major elements of the US agenda will be discussed in Biden’s Jeddah meetings.

Energy issues that have become stifling following the outbreak of the Russian war on Ukraine, the Iranian-Western negotiations regarding reviving the nuclear agreement that Trump canceled in 2018, and the formulation of new US-Arab relations are among the things that made Biden realize that his personal presence is required in the region.

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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble
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Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Desperate for Cash, Gazans Sell Clothes Plucked from Rubble

Moein Abu Odeh clambered up a pile of rubble in southern Gaza, searching for clothes, shoes, anything he could sell to raise cash more than a year since Israel started its relentless bombardments.

The father-of-four delved under blocks and brushed away piles of concrete dust at the site of one airstrike in the wrecked city of Khan Younis. His plan was to sell what he found to buy flour.

"If food and drink were available, believe me, I would give (these clothes) to charity," he said. "But the struggles we are going through (mean we) have to sell our clothes to eat and drink."

Widespread shortages and months of grinding war have generated a trade in old clothing, much of it salvaged from the homes of people who have died in the conflict.

At one makeshift market, shoes, shirts, sweaters and sneakers were laid out on dusty blankets, Reuters reported.

A girl tried on a single worn-out boot, which could come in handy this winter if she can afford it in Gaza's ruined economy.

A trader got an edge on his competitors by shouting out that his wares were European.

One man laughed as he got a young boy to try on a green jacket.

"We get clothing from a man whose house was destroyed. He was digging in the concrete to get some (clothing) and we buy them like this and sell them at a good price," displaced Palestinian Louay Abdel-Rahman said.

He and his family arrived in the city from another part of Gaza with only the clothes they were wearing. So he also keeps some back for them. "The seasons have changed from summer to winter and we need clothing," he said.

In April, the UN estimated it would take 14 years to dispose of the wreckage in Gaza. The UN official overseeing the problem said the clean-up would cost at least $1.2 billion.

More than 128,000 buildings have been destroyed or severely or moderately damaged in Gaza as a result of the conflict, the UN says. Underneath all of that are seams of mangled clothes.

"All our children only have short-sleeve clothing and nobody is helping them," Saeed Doula, a father-of-seven, said. "The war is all-encompassing."