The Arabists Want to put Israel in its Place

The Arabists at the State Department are at it again, trying to put Israel in its place. The unfortunate message the US sends to its allies in the MENA region is that no one in the region can trust Washington if not even Jerusalem can trust America. While diplomats of Muslim nations are pressuring America to agree to a UNSC resolution against Israel, their leaders are watching carefully to see if America will relent. This is a test for American leadership in the region. A UNSC resolution would further undermine American credibility and influence in the MENA region, not only obviously with respect to Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria as Israelis henceforth would have much less reasons to listen to Americans when devising policy but generally so in the MENA region. The White House must internalize that when they humiliate Israel they humiliate themselves in the eyes of the leaders of the region and in terms of MENA honor culture that is pretty much the worst thing a person can do. After all, who can trust someone who humiliates himself by humiliating his best friend?