As the Gaza war grimly continues, it becomes increasingly clear that the conflict has shaken global geopolitics. For the US, the war has been costly. Though Joe Biden has steadfastly stood by Israel, he has repeatedly failed to reign in Benjamin Netanyahu, making the US president appear weak and ineffectual. Yet by defending Israel so staunchly, such as calling the International Criminal Court’s proposed warrant for Netanyahu “outrageous,” Biden has drawn the ire of many countries sympathetic to the Palestinians, diminishing America's credibility further.
A new report by the Arab Barometer—a biannual opinion poll that surveys 16 Arab countries—gives an indication of just how damaging the war has been for America's reputation in the Middle East. Writing in Foreign Affairs, the survey’s authors note that the last decade had seen a steady increase in America's popularity, climbing from a low following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
However, since 7 October 2023, those numbers have plummeted once again. In countries geographically close to the conflict, the fall was especially sharp. While over 50% of Jordanians had a favourable view of the US in 2021-22, in 2023-4, this had fallen to 28%. In Lebanon, the numbers had dropped from 42% to 27%.
And China seems to be benefiting from this growing disillusionment. In the same period, favourable views of China have sky-rocketed—from 14% to 34% in Jordan and from 10% to 27% in Lebanon. Three of the five countries most recently surveyed stated that they thought China’s policies were better for the Middle East’s security than America's.
Such numbers will delight Beijing and vindicate its strategic approach to the Gaza war so far—one seemingly aimed at capitalising on frustrations over Biden's unequivocal support for Israel to enhance its position in the Middle East.
