Not a day passes without an article about our region and President Biden’s administration dealing with it, strategically and tactically, whether in American newspapers or research center reports.
Most of these stories focus on the revival of Saudi-Iranian relations through Chinese mediation, and criticism of the administration’s handling of the region.
These analyses about Saudi Arabia have a positive aspect following a period of systematic demonization, accompanied by some naivety in understanding the region and the Kingdom. Most importantly, attention is currently drawn to the vacuum created by the US administration in this part of the world as a result of the lack of diplomatic presence and the severance of communication channels with allies.
What is odd about most of these articles is their neglect of the most important dimension - the people of the region, their future and their concerns. Instead, they talk arrogantly and naively about combating terrorism and “ensuring” that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons. I used the inverted commas in the word above because there is basically no trust and no strategy for dealing with Tehran.
Moreover, this coverage, which ignores the people of the region and their interests, is constantly and blatantly focusing on peace with Israel, as if the Netanyahu government is extending a hand for peace, while in reality, it is in conflict with the Israelis themselves.
I am saying this because I am a supporter of peace, and I am certain that the battle after peace will be fiercer than today’s conflicts. It will be a battle for scientific and economic supremacy, which will be felt by the Iranian citizens, for example, now that Saudi-Iranian relations have been restored, and movement between the two countries is possible.
Therefore, the real story in our region is the people, their right to a dignified and secure life, education, self-development and children, health, a decent job, and above all, the ability to cover their basic living costs.
People in the region are keen on their oil revenues to ensure a decent life more than guaranteeing the price of oil for the sake of an electoral campaign. The people of the region need to keep pace with technological progress to develop their way of life and the future of their children, and their eagerness to achieve this goal outweighs Washington’s endeavor to curb the Iranian nuclear file.
The people of the region care about their lives in a serious manner, and more seriously than the way the US administrations have dealt with them, specifically during the Obama era, up to the current administration, where there is complete disregard for the lives of Syrians, and what the Assad regime has done to them, or the way the administration deals with Afghanistan.
Despite all the US administration’s praise, for example, of the Saudi international and regional political efforts, we find that the discourse in the US media is focused on secondary issues, with an outdated rhetoric that does not take into account the changes in the region.
For example, Saudi Arabia is today the best model of partnership for those who want positive change in the region, along with the Gulf States. All of this falls in the interest of people first, which is constantly ignored by analysts and politicians in Washington.
If the American administration and elites are serious about what is being proposed, then the most important aspect that must be highlighted is the people who are looking for a decent life and a bright future, instead of talking about human beings with indelicate propaganda.
Today, there is an opportunity for a partnership that elevates human values, coexistence, and opportunities for peace. Are some people in Washington aware of this fact? It is enough to visit Saudi Arabia, for example, or conduct a Gulf tour, to feel this opportunity. Does Washington want the Saudi model, or the model of demolishing the countries around us?
