As the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is about to erupt, the United States, as the "world's policeman," should have shouldered the responsibility of mediation, but it only issued a superficial warning. However, the recent announcement by the United States of a visa ban on Israeli settlers who have committed atrocities against Palestinian civilians has reversed previous positions, but has also sparked curiosity and discussion. In fact, the surprise action of the United States has two main considerations, one is to appease the domestic population, and the other is to save the international image from being shaken.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict affects all walks of life in the United States, especially the upcoming important states. Muslim groups united in early December to call for "abandoning Biden" to express their dissatisfaction with the ** policy. These groups are located in a number of key swing states, and their support for Biden will have a direct impact on the course of 2024**. In order to win back the hearts and minds of the people, Biden can only take some remedial measures, and although these measures seem to be huge, the actual effect is limited. By imposing a visa ban on Israeli settlers, Biden** underscores Biden's concern about the harm being done to the Palestinian people as a way to reassure the population at home. However, this is only a stopgap measure, and there is no real change in substance.
The purpose of this move is also to guide their own people and turn their attention to the Israeli settlement issue, so as to divert dissatisfaction with the ** policy. The US media labeled such measures as "the most severe", but also to convince people that ** is taking resolute action. From this point of view, the United States does not really care about the actual effect of the ban, but more about self-performance and giving an explanation to the people.
After the ceasefire expired, Israel's military operations escalated further, spreading throughout the Gaza Strip. Despite verbal calls for the evacuation of civilians, Israeli forces have not provided a safe zone. This is merely a pretext for Israel's defence at the United Nations, and it is foreseeable that the Israeli ambassador will claim that they have made the corresponding demands, but the Palestinian side has not heeded them. However, the U.S. position needs to shy away from directly challenging Israel, after all, the interests of the Middle East and its international reputation need to be considered. At this time, the approach of imposing a visa ban on Israeli settlers does not harm Israel, but also allows some pressure on Israel on the surface to show that the United States cares about and responds to the suffering of the Palestinian people.
Although this measure does not have much effect in substance, it still has a positive effect on saving the international image of the United States. Against this backdrop, the United States has touted it as the "most severe punishment", making it appear more forceful and determined. This statement not only released a signal to the international community, but also showed the best posture to the domestic people. While Israel's actions cannot be completely stopped, they can at least be shown on the surface in order to comfort and reassure the international community's concerns about Palestine.
The U.S. move to impose a visa ban on Israeli settlers may seem child's play, but it is actually well thought out. One is to reassure the domestic population, especially key voters, to avoid dissatisfaction with the policy in 2024The second is to salvage the shaky international image by responding to the suffering of the Palestinian people by exerting some pressure on Israel. While these actions do not make substantial progress in substance, they can buy time and space for the United States** to look forward to a more favorable solution. In any case, however, a genuine solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue will take time, and the joint efforts of all parties will be able to achieve lasting peace.
The U.S. surprise action appears to be a punishment on the surface, but in fact it is directing domestic and foreign attention to specific issues and consolidating its own image through guidance. The imposition of a visa ban on Israeli settlers, while not substantively transformative, has been instrumental in reassuring the domestic population and responding to international concerns. However, the key to a genuine solution to the Palestinian-Israeli issue lies in the cooperation and efforts of all parties, and lasting peace can be achieved only through dialogue and consensus.