European heads of state make beeline for Israel, but Arab world snubs Joe Biden’s Tel Aviv visit

The ongoing conflict between the Israel and Hamas terrorists has divided the international community in two-fold with prominent world leaders have denounced the attacks on Israeli civilians while expressing unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself. US President Joe Biden embarked on a high-stakes mission Wednesday to West Asia with the aim of addressing the Palestinian humanitarian crisis and reaffirming support for Israel but his attempts to de-escalate tensions in the ongoing conflict encountered massive setbacks even before his departure as the scheduled meetings with key Arab leaders were cancelled following an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives. The postponement of the Amman summit where Biden was scheduled to meet in Amman, Jordan, with leaders from Israel, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, followed Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ withdrawal from the scheduled meetings in protest of the attacks. However, the Israeli military attributed the incident to a misfired rocket by other Palestinian militants. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden retreated strong support for Israel and some of them even visited the country to show solidarity. However, China and Russia have taken more assertive positions with the war exacerbating existing geopolitical tensions. This situation highlights the growing divide between these Cold War-era allies and Western powers such as the US, UK, and France. Over the weekend, the Chinese foreign minister expressed that Israel’s bombing had exceeded the bounds of self-defence and called for an end to the collective punishment of the people of Gaza. While, Russian President Vladimir Putin drew a historical parallel, suggesting that an escalated siege of Gaza by Israel might resemble the siege of Leningrad by German armies during World War II. This reference is likely to be deeply offensive to Israel. Brazil, which assumed the Security Council’s rotating presidency this month, also condemned the surprise Hamas attack on Israel. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also extended support to Israel and encouraged world leaders to visit Israel in a show of solidarity with its people and to deter further aggression. It’s been over a week since the Hamas terrorist group launched its most severe attack on Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, predominantly civilians in the Jewish state. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported that at least 3,200 people in Gaza have lost their lives, with 11,000 sustaining injuries while approximately 1,200 people are believed to be trapped under the rubble with uncertain fates whether alive or dead. In Israel, over 1,400 people have been killed, predominantly civilians, as a result of the Hamas attack on October 7. This assault also led to around 200 people being taken captive and transported into Gaza.