As the world witnesses the worst violence in Jerusalem since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, the US president, Joe Biden, has been criticised for his silence. Jonathan Freedland speaks to the veteran negotiator Dennis Ross about the history of US policy in the Middle East
“We’re escalating towards a full-scale war,” the UN’s Middle East envoy said on Tuesday of the situation in Gaza. As Israel continues to launch airstrikes and Palestinian militant groups fire rockets in retaliation, dozens of Palestinians, including children, have been killed in Gaza, as well as several Israelis.
The situation is serious, but the Biden administration has remained silent for the most part. The US, once seen as an influential arbiter in the Middle East, has been too wrapped up in domestic issues to deal with far-away troubles. So what is the president to do? Is the US even the right mediator any more?
