On August 26, US envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus visited Lebanon at a time of mounting volatility in the region. Their trip followed not only significant developments on the Syrian and Lebanese fronts but also the United Nations’ grim announcement that the Gaza Strip is now experiencing famine – the latest tragedy in a humanitarian crisis widely regarded as the result of Israel’s ongoing war.

For months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have brazenly defied internationally documented reports from humanitarian and political organizations detailing the catastrophic situation in Gaza. These reports point to widespread famine, systematic displacement, and what many describe as genocide taking place in full view of the world. And yet, instead of taking decisive action, the so-called international community has opted for inaction – or, worse, complicity. This silence has reinforced a long-standing reality in Middle Eastern geopolitics: the international order is not shaped by justice or human rights, but by the balance of power and the dominance of US-led alliances.

The current reality is old in the sense that near-unconditional international support for Israel is nothing new. For decades, Western powers, led by Washington, have provided Israel with political, military, and economic cover despite its violations of international law. But it is also new because the post-Cold War “world order” consolidated under US hegemony has redefined concepts, norms, and political priorities in ways that directly serve American and Israeli interests.

Take the case of Zionism. Once widely criticized and even defined as a form of racism........

© Blitz