War by other means – US diplomats muddy Arabian waters while Israel circles

Alameen Templeton
Saudi Arabia is finally acknowledging genocide it happening in Gaza and that it has to be stopped, but, now that they can see clearly, United States foreign minister Antony Blinken is trying to muddy the waters with embarrassing revelations that Araba leaders urged Israel to “finish Hamas” after October 7 last year.
Al-Akhbar reports America’s war diplomats are also misbehaving in Lebanon, where US ambassador Lisa Johnson has called on Lebanon’s Christian politicians to boot Hezbollah out of the country by staging a coup and appointing Lebanese army general Joseph Aoun as president of the country.
The Cradle says Riyadh has wrapped up a two-day conference featuring “representatives from 90 countries” at which the Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said “genocide is happening (in Gaza) with the goal of evicting the Palestinian people from their land, which Saudi Arabia rejects”.
Back into line
That statement will set alarm bells ringing among “normalisation neocons” in Washington where fears are growing that the reins hugging the kingdom to America’s bosom are loosening. Normalisation is fundamental to the US’s ambitions of redrawing the security architecture for the whole of Arabia, with Israel’s position unassailed.
Diplomatic observers say Blinken’s embarrassing revelations – showing the leaders of the UAE, Jordan and Saudi Arabia all called on Israel after October 7 last year to wipe out Hamas, saying it was an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that was committed to overthrowing their countries – are an attempt to pull them back into line.
“The meetings Blinken held with Arab leaders would have been subject to rules of utmost confidentiality. These revelations are an egregious transgression of all diplomatic protocols at the highest level and underline just how low relations are between the White House and Riyad at the moment.
US ties at ‘rock-bottom’
“Clearly, the White House is very worried, particularly now that the Arab states are siding with Iran as Israel widens its war with Lebanon. They feel America and Israel present a greater threat to their oil infrastructure and their accumulated wealth than Teheran does,” the diplomatic source – who did not want to be identified because he is part of negotiations – said.
“America would never have released these embarrassing details it relations with their Araba partners, not just Saudi Arabia, were not already at rock-bottom,” the source added.
Underlining Saudi Arabia new position, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan hosted the two-day meeting of the “Global Alliance for the Two-State Solution” on 30 and 31 October.
“The escalation that the region is witnessing and the continued Israeli aggression on Palestine and Lebanon, and the expansion of the conflict regionally and potentially global, makes it inevitable for all of us to take a decisive and immediate position to put an end to the crimes and the violations committed by Israel,” he said during his opening address, ThisDay reports.
Bin Faisal said the genocide had to be stopped, describing the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic” and condemning the Israeli army’s “complete blockade” of northern Gaza. He also made it clear the establishment of a viable, Palestinian state was an absolute prerequisite before any “normalizations” could occur.
The conference featured officials from several European and Arab nations, but Saudi media did not release the names of attendees.
Intention to undermine
“Now, more than ever, we should intensify our joint efforts to save the two-solution in order to restore security, stability and establish peace in our region,” the kingdom’s top diplomat said.
If the conference was intended as a public statement of Saudi intentions, then the revelations of Arab leaders’ statements just after October 7 were clearly intended to undermine them.
They’re all included in a new book by Bob Woodward, a shill for the security establishment, who revealed, in the aftermath of the 7 October 2023 Palestinian resistance operation, several Arab leaders – including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) – told Blinken that “Israel must defeat Hamas.”
“The terrorist groups are not only trying to eliminate Israel, but they also want to overthrow other Arab leaders. We are concerned about what the Israeli operation will do to all of our security, and what comes after Hamas may be worse,” Bin Farhan said, according to The Cradle.
For his part, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman allegedly told Blinken, “I want the problems caused by October 7 to disappear. A Palestinian state must be established before normalization with Israel. I do not want that, but I need it to justify normalization. I want to return to Vision 2030 by normalizing with Israel. Gaza must be calm first for us to normalize with Israel.”
‘Hamas must be eliminated’
Woodward claims Jordanian King Abdullah II told Blinken on October 13 2023: “We told Israel not to do this, we told them not to trust Hamas, Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood, Israel must defeat Hamas. We will not say this publicly, but we support the defeat of Hamas.”
On October 14, Woodward says UAE leader Emir Mohammed bin Zayed told Blinken: “Hamas must be eliminated. We have repeatedly warned Israel that Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood. We can give Israel time to eliminate Hamas, but first, it must help us calm our citizens from the images of violence and destruction in Gaza by bringing in aid, establishing safe zones, and controlling the violence of the settlers in the West Bank. Let it help us with our citizens, and we will give it the space to eliminate Hamas.”
All the embarrassing details came from Blinken’s office, but he’s not the only US diplomat seeking to pull Arabia’s leaders into line.
Al-Akhbar reveals, in Beirut, Johnson met mainly Christian politicians and asked them: “Why do you seem afraid? Hezbollah has been defeated, its leadership is destroyed, and we are with you, and the entire free world stands by your side.”
‘Launch an uprising’
Johnson encouraged her Lebanese allies to advocate for the election of Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun as President of Lebanon, saying, “He [Aoun] will appoint a strong commander for the Lebanese Army, and we will support the Army in restraining all Hezbollah supporters. You will have backing from Arab states and the West. But the time to act is now.”
She added: “Israel cannot achieve everything through war; it’s time for you to do your part and launch an internal uprising under the banner of ‘Enough.’”
The ambassador added, “The Lebanese people must show their desire to rise up and get rid of Hezbollah and return to the context that emerged after the assassination of Rafik Hariri, especially since the regional, international, and field circumstances are in your favor.”
Lebanese security sources told Al-Akhbar US provocateurs were active in stoking community tensions in areas that had given shelter to mainly Shia refugees from southern Lebanon.
Searching for a new dawn
Following a bloody civil war from 1975 to 1990, in which America and Israel successfully stoked sectarian tensions, 150 000 people were killed. However, most Lebanese recognise the dangers of returning to the past.
The Cradle says Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has signalled it is searching for a new future. Demanding the establishment of a viable Palestinian state as a prerequisite for normalisation pits the kingdom directly against the Nazi state. The Israeli Knesset overwhelmingly voted earlier this year to outlaw the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Its approved resolution says: “The Knesset of Israel firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region.”
“Promoting the idea of ​​a Palestinian state at this time will be a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters to see this as a victory, thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East.”
ThisDay says the Saudi coalition “is aimed at mobilizing global support for a viable, sustainable two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”. Riyadh said it would hold a follow-up conference on November 11.