U.S. diplomats warn of lasting anti-American sentiment in West Asia

February 17, 2024 - 21:38

The U.S. State Department has received multiple warnings from its posts in West Asia during recent weeks about the lasting impact from U.S. messaging on the conflict in Gaza, triggering a meeting in Washington with intelligence agencies to evaluate the fallout, according to internal communications reviewed by ABC News and officials familiar with the matter.

One cable from the American mission in Morocco said that former collaborators in the country asserted that the U.S. had become "toxic" because the administration's support for Israel after Hamas' October 7 attack had been widely perceived as a "blank check for the Israeli response."

"Criticism of the U.S. position has proven unshakeable despite significant adjustments to U.S. messaging to highlight the need to protect civilian lives," the document, labeled sensitive but unclassified, continues.

Diplomats at other posts in West Asia have voiced similar concerns, according to an official, who said posts in Muslim-majority countries in other areas of the world, such as Indonesia, have also voiced misgivings.

Additionally, the surge of anti-American sentiment could have negative impacts for U.S. businesses operating in the region and potentially inspire extremism, experts say.