A disappointing Middle East policy

Writing in The Guardian, Jonathan Steele voices partial disappointment at Joe Biden's address to the Munich Security Conference: "On Russia, his remarks were especially welcome after the hysteria of many European politicians and pundits who talk of a new cold war and warn of Russian 'energy blackmail'. By contrast, Biden deplored the 'dangerous drift' in east-west relations in recent years. Going on to repudiate 'the zero sum mentality', he threw out the central calculus of the old struggle between Russia and the west – the notion of implacable enemies with no common interests. ... Where Saturday's speech and, by implication, the current state of thinking within the new administration are disappointing is on the Middle East and Iran. Biden advocated an international reconstruction effort for Gaza that strengthened the Palestinian Authority, 'not Hamas'. This is as unrealistic as it is undemocratic."

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