A rally in Yemen against Israel's attack on Lebanon and killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, in Sana'a, Yemen, on Oct. 18, 2024. Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu via Getty Images
Bent on a “mega-deal” security pact with Saudi Arabia, Congress and the Biden administration see their chance.
Originally published in The Intercept.
The leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, was killed in battle between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 attacks, was a top target for Israel. After months of Israel claiming that Sinwar was hiding in tunnels behind “human shields,” the Hamas leader was gravely wounded by tank fire when he was above ground and alone, as he sat on a chair covered in dust in a ruined apartment, according to drone footage released by the Israeli military.
Sinwar had been described before his killing as a major obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza. Instead of focusing on that aim, however, senior U.S. officials and members of Congress from both parties seized on Sinwar’s demise to push a much wider agenda — including an opening for the next stage of America’s geopolitical ambitions.
Following the news of Sinwar’s death, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a post on X: “After recent conversations w/leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia & UAE, I have real hope that Sinwar’s death creates truly historic opportunities for Israel’s security, cessation of fighting & regional peace & stability through normalization of relations. The moment must be seized.”
Just beneath the surface of Blumenthal’s remarks is a widely discussed mega-deal that would effectively create a U.S.-Gulf regime neo-colony in Gaza, commit the U.S. to going to war for Saudi Arabia, and plunge us deeper into a new cold war with China.
Lawmakers are aiming to link these far-reaching policies to the reconstruction of Gaza to make the deal more difficult to oppose. The pact would be imposed on the Palestinian people.
Members of Congress have been blunt about their vision for the future of Palestine and the region.
“An independent sovereign nation called ‘Palestine’ with security guarantees for Israel to make sure there’s no future October 7ths,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a recent interview. “It will be more like an emirate than it will be a democracy. MBS and MBZ at the UAE will come in and rebuild Gaza … create an enclave in the Palestine” — referring to Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Graham, one of the biggest hawks in Congress, also praised Blumenthal for being “a Democrat trying to get the votes” for a deal requiring the U.S. to “go to war for Saudi Arabia.”
Despite claims of wanting justice for Palestinians or supporting a two-state solution, American officials make little mention of Palestinian self-determination. None of the post-war plans offered have involved an election or process that would allow Palestinians to have a say in their future after enduring the humanitarian emergency of the Israeli war against them.
Biden’s Legacy
While some members, like Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., focused their response to Sinwar’s death more narrowly on an end to the Gaza war, many influential figures on Capitol Hill linked it to the wider regional vision.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin, D-Md., put out a statement that called for the U.S. to “chart a path that refuses to accept a region in perpetual conflict” and instead embraces “a future that fulfills the aspirations of peace, security, prosperity, dignity, and mutual recognition for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and for all the people of the region.”
On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, as well as Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, about “work to bring home the hostages, end the war in Gaza, and chart a path forward that will enable the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from war and the grip of Hamas,” according to a tweet from the State Department.
President Joe Biden’s team has been pushing for a deal with Saudi Arabia throughout his term, considering it crucial to the president’s legacy. U.S. officials were on the verge of finalizing an agreement before it was thwarted by the Hamas attacks. Just a month after October 7, a former senior adviser to Biden’s top Middle East hand Brett McGurk outlined the strategy in an Atlantic Council blog.
According to Bob Woodward’s new book “War,” in a meeting some time before the October 7 attack, Graham told Biden that only a Democrat could secure a U.S.-Saudi defense treaty.
“It’s going to take a Democratic president to convince Democrats to vote to go to war for Saudi Arabia,” Graham reportedly said.
Biden responded: “Let’s do it.”
Aída Chávez is communications director and policy adviser at Just Foreign Policy. She was previously The Nation’s D.C. correspondent and a reporter at The Intercept, More Perfect Union, and other outlets.
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