Why did the United States government work diligently to escalate the war in the Middle East?

 

By Steve Halpern

This morning I read two headlines on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer. These were U.S. works to prevent escalation in Middle East and Iran takes conflict to new heights. So, I need to ask the question: Why did the United States government work diligently to heighten an insidious genocide against the Palestinian people? Allow me to report on a few highlights of this unimaginable horror.

For the past 100 years, Palestinians have been brutalized by imperialist powers. For the past 76 years that repression has been directed by the government of the state of Israel. The imperialist powers have supported Israel because it is located in the center of the region where oil is produced. Oil is a crucial commodity for the capitalist world. The Suez Canal is also located in this region. This canal is crucial to international capitalist trade. 

Then the Hamas organized October 7 raid happened. While I didn’t support that raid, given the reality of the past 100 years, some kind of explosion was inevitable. Washington immediately understood that Israel was no longer capable of maintaining a relative stability in this region. So, it vastly increased military support to Israel. The U.S. government also immediately sent warships to the region.

Eventually the South African government went to the World Court and charged Israel with genocide against the Palestinian people. The World Court decided that those charges were legitimate but failed to demand a ceasefire. 

The Israeli government responded by accusing workers for the United Nations relief organization of participating in the October 7 raid. The United Nations has support agencies in Gaza because the people living there have no sovereign government and are occupied by Israel. 

The administration of President Joe Biden responded to the Israeli accusations by stopping all financial contributions to UNRWA. The United States was the major contributor to that organization. This action meant that the genocide against Palestinians would escalate.

The South African government responded to this action by charging Israel with starving Palestinians living in Gaza. Israel responded to this by murdering international workers from the World Central Kitchen who were bringing aid to Palestinians. 

Governments from all over the world condemned the Israeli government for that action. Israel responded to those criticisms by bombing the Iranian Embassy in Syria. This was a clear and unequivocal act of war. 

Iran offered to end this conflict if Israel ended the war against Palestinians. Israel refused to do this, and Iran sent hundreds of drones into the skies above Israel. 

We might consider that the reason why the United States government has supported Israel for 76 years has been to maintain a relative stability in the Middle East. Now, the Israeli government has become the primary obstacle to stability in that region.

Given the history of this region, I believe there is only one way for working people to respond. That is to continue to go out into the streets and demand Ceasefire Now, and equal rights for all Jews and Palestinians from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.