TEHRAN- In recent weeks, there has been a notable rise in official opposition from Western governments towards the policies of the occupying Israeli regime concerning the Gaza Strip. As a result, various restrictions have been placed on arms and financial aid to the Tel Aviv regime, particularly targeting financial transactions and support for border settlements with Gaza and newly established settlements on the West Bank.

European governments are actively highlighting these objections, mirroring the widespread public outrage in the West over the increasing atrocities committed by Netanyahu's cabinet in Gaza, leading to a rise in martyrs, especially among children and women. The impact of Operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” has significantly reshaped the socio-political landscape of the West, fueling the anger of many American-European citizens towards the unwavering support of the United States and the relative backing of the European Union for Tel Aviv, and the ongoing atrocities of the occupying regime in Gaza, as demonstrated by public and state surveys. Furthermore, this discontent and anger have influenced certain assumptions and forecasts made by the White House regarding the 2024 presidential elections. This matter is equally relevant to the European parliamentary elections, where established parties like the Social Democrats and Conservatives are worried about losing support among voters who are critical of the Zionist regime.

Biden under pressure

In line with established foreign policy strategies, the President of the United States has prioritized offering "unconditional support" to the occupation regime of Israel and aligning with it to escalate the situation in Gaza. Moreover, the influential role of the Zionist lobby AIPAC in American politics has forced Biden to tone down his opposition to Netanyahu, reducing it to mere criticism or negative remarks. The US has delayed ceasefire negotiations, both permanent and temporary. Meanwhile, Biden faces declining popularity over the Gaza conflict as evidenced by successive polls released recently. In none of the recent public opinion surveys in America over the past five months has Biden outperformed Trump. It's evident that Biden's voter base has weakened, largely due to the redirection of support from Muslims, people of color, and even white people who are against the occupying regime and are also extremely concerned about the Gaza conflict. This trend is observable in crucial states like Michigan.

Decoding the Michigan elections

Joe Biden, the current President of the United States representing the Democratic Party, and Donald Trump, the former President from the Republican Party, both secured victories in the preliminary elections held in Michigan. Of particular concern to Biden is the reaction of Michigan's Muslim population to his Gaza-related policies. In the preliminary elections, Biden garnered 80% of the Democratic votes, with "none" votes making up 15%. In response to Biden's stance on Gaza, the Muslim and Arab-American communities in Michigan cast nearly 40,000 "none" votes during the preliminary elections. Michigan holds significant importance; the 40,000 votes surpass the 10,000-vote margin Trump won in the state during the 2016 elections. This underscores Muslim dissatisfaction with Biden's Gaza policies. Biden is deeply apprehensive that the voting behavior of Muslims in the 2024 presidential elections could shift, potentially leading them to refrain from supporting Biden and the Democrats against Trump and the Republicans.

The influence of the Gaza conflict on key voter groups in American elections

The President of the United States has lost the support of American Muslims and youth (first-time voters) due to the atrocities committed in Gaza by the Netanyahu government. America's insistence on preventing a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza war has exacerbated this trend. While a significant portion of American Muslim votes may not sway in favor of Trump, it does not necessarily mean they will support Biden and the Democrats! Thousands of Muslims in Michigan have demonstrated with their recent votes that if the current trend continues in Gaza and America fails to take practical and explicit action to end the Gaza war through a permanent ceasefire, one should not expect Muslim support. This principle holds true not only in Michigan but also in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Considering the influence and susceptibility of all three states located in the region known as the Midwest (Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin), defeat in these states would mean the ultimate failure of the Democrats in the 2024 presidential elections. Biden initially believed that with time and the wearing out of the war, the Gaza issue would become a routine matter in American foreign policy, but this calculation has proven to be wrong! Muslim votes in intra-party elections in Michigan have sounded the alarm louder for the Democrats and this pattern will likely extend to other states in America.

The role of power structure on Biden's strategy

In the midst of this situation, the significance of the power structure and the involvement of both informal and formal power figures cannot be underestimated. Biden finds himself intricately linked to this structure, even credited as one of its creators. Yet, he faces a consistent decline in his prospects for a return to the White House. The President is acutely aware that if the specter of the Gaza conflict lingers until November 2024 (the time of the U.S. presidential elections), it could prove to be his downfall. However, he lacks the authority to challenge the entrenched norms and patterns in his nation's foreign policy regarding the West Asia region and the global arena. He is confronted with a decision between "defeat in the elections" and "meeting the demands of AIPAC." Amidst these considerations, the President is contemplating a third option: bringing an end to the Gaza conflict in the forthcoming months or perpetuating it as a sustained, low-tension conflict.

Therapeutic Biden-style speech!

In such circumstances, the President of the United States opts to utilize statements, symbols, and signals that, superficially at least, create a sense of distance from Netanyahu. For instance, President Biden recently announced his intention to carry out the first food and aid drop over Gaza. This announcement came in the wake of reports indicating a significant number of Palestinians martyred while seeking humanitarian aid, losing their lives due to gunfire from invading Zionist forces. In these situations, the audacity of Biden and White House officials appears boundless. The US government has consistently vetoed UN Security Council resolutions on a Gaza ceasefire over the past five months and has even engaged in provocative actions during recent six-week ceasefire negotiations in Paris, aimed at undermining Hamas. With all these elements, Biden aims to foster this very "false distancing." The pivotal point here is that the United States has emerged as the primary obstacle to global aid for Gaza and has exerted pressure on the United Nations on this issue. Recently, UN officials issued warnings that starvation in Gaza has reached an unprecedented level due to the crimes and genocidal actions of the Zionists, placing many children, women, and men at risk of death. Nonetheless, aid from the United Nations fails to reach Gaza, and the United States refuses to permit the establishment of a natural pathway for essential food and medicine to reach Palestinians. Even recently, American authorities have refrained from releasing a straightforward statement denouncing the recent inhumane acts committed by the Zionists, who have targeted unarmed Palestinians, thereby discouraging the reception of food assistance. Biden's attempt to critique certain events in the Gaza conflict within such a misleading and insincere framework will ultimately have adverse consequences for him!

Is America an intermediary or a criminal?

In this context, another strategy employed by the President of the United States is to portray America as an intermediary in ceasefire negotiations. However, in this scenario, America is seen as a "criminal" rather than a "mediator" or "intermediary." Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, serving as the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor respectively in the Biden administration, attempt to convey the narrative of "America's efforts to broker a temporary ceasefire" in their communications and everyday discourse concerning the Gaza conflict. Nevertheless, in practice, a significant portion of the crisis can be attributed to them. The deep collaboration between Tel Aviv and Washington transcends mere appearances. While Biden ostensibly expresses concern about the shortage of food supplies and essential aid in Gaza, he is simultaneously involved in orchestrating and overseeing the atrocities in Gaza through CENTCOM and the Pentagon. This glaring contradiction arises from the strategies and tactics of a nation often regarded as the primary instigator of historical, ongoing, and future crises in the global arena. It must be emphasized that, based on irrefutable documents and evidence, Biden shares Netanyahu's belief that starvation and humanitarian hardships can be wielded as tools against Palestinians, coercing them into leaving Gaza or surrendering to Tel Aviv. The international community, and particularly the Palestinian people, will not accept this shameful and manipulative narrative perpetuated by the White House and its incumbent President, Joe Biden.