US sees new isolation from Israel support

WASHINGTON, United States — Nearly three years after President Joe Biden took office vowing "America is back," the country's international image is taking a beating as his administration backs Israel in its war with Hamas.

In one step back from the newfound isolation, the United States on Friday, after painstaking negotiations, let through a UN Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid for the beleaguered Gaza Strip, after vetoing two earlier calls to halt the fighting.

But the United States still remained apart from some of its closest allies -- Britain, France and Japan -- which backed the resolution. The United States abstained, joined only by Russia.

A week earlier in the full General Assembly, the United States was joined by only two European partners, Austria and the Czech Republic, and none of its Asian allies in voting against a nonbinding ceasefire call in the war triggered by an October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.

Most European policymakers, when it comes to the United States, still think first of Biden's robust support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion, said Leslie Vinjamuri, director of the US and Americas program at Chatham House in London.

"How it's playing right now in the rest of the world is that the United States cares about Israelis, cares about Ukrainians and really doesn't care about brown people. Unfortunately, that's the kind of narrative that's taken off," she said.

Unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, who unreservedly backed Israel, Biden has openly voiced frustration over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's failure to protect Gaza civilians, even as the US continues to ensure military provisions and diplomatic protection.

Biden administration officials say their behind-the-scenes pressure has borne fruit, with Israel budging on letting in fuel, restoring internet access and opening crossings into Gaza.

But with images proliferating of Gaza's suffering, the storyline that Biden is "hugging Netanyahu close, and then pressing him hard quietly, worked for about a week," Vinjamuri said.

A survey of six Arab publics last month showed that just seven percent believed the United States played a positive role in the war,