Arabs and America: Economics vs. the Alliance with Israel
The United States now faces a delicate balance in the Middle East. On one side, it has a strong strategic alliance with Israel based on military and intelligence power. On the other, it relies on deep economic ties with Arab states that hold oil, gas, and large sovereign investments. Yet Washington continues to ignore this fact. It treats Arabs as financial and oil tools, while giving Israel unconditional superiority. The question is: how long can America walk this tightrope without paying a strategic price?
Since the 1970s, the U.S. has depended on the petrodollar system, which tied oil sales to the dollar and made it the backbone of the global financial system. This gave Washington unmatched power to fund its deficits and expand influence. But this privilege is no longer guaranteed. The BRICS group is working to reduce reliance on the dollar. With Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining, Arabs now play a direct role in shaping the future of the global system. Any serious move to price oil in other currencies would shake the foundation of U.S. dominance.
Meanwhile, Israel, with open U.S. support, pushes Netanyahu’s “New Middle East” project, which aims to secure full regional dominance. This vision is reflected in the destruction of Gaza, the swallowing of the West Bank, plans for forced migration, and strikes on Lebanon, Syria, and even Qatar. It is a project that destabilizes the region, yet Washington still sees it as part of its interests.
Israel has no economic weight compared to the Arabs. Yet it enjoys exceptional military and political support. Arabs, however, hold far greater cards: oil, gas, sea routes, and sovereign wealth funds. If these are used in a united stance, they become a stronger pressure tool than U.S. military aid to Israel.
Arab action should not stop at economics. It can also include freezing or reviewing peace treaties and halting new normalization efforts. Combined with the leverage of oil and investments, this would send Washington a clear message: continued bias toward Israel will come at a real cost.
Inside America, Israel’s narrative is losing ground. More young people and universities reject blind bias, especially after the Gaza war. Europe, tied economically to the Arab world, may also move closer to supporting a united Arab stance if Arabs act with confidence.
What is needed now is a clear Arab position that links economics with politics. It should declare that a two-state solution is the only path to normal relations with the United States. If Washington ignores this, Arabs must review their alliances and shift investments and markets to other partners.
The 1973 oil embargo proved that Arabs can change global positions when united. Today, with even stronger tools, they cannot afford to remain passive while the map of the region is redrawn at their expense. If America insists on blind bias, it is America that will lose its strategic privileges. For Arabs, unity is the only guarantee to turn economic and political weight into real influence on the global stage.
The United States now faces a delicate balance in the Middle East. On one side, it has a strong strategic alliance with Israel based on military and intelligence power. On the other, it relies on deep economic ties with Arab states that hold oil, gas, and large sovereign investments. Yet Washington continues to ignore this fact. It treats Arabs as financial and oil tools, while giving Israel unconditional superiority. The question is: how long can America walk this tightrope without paying a strategic price?
Since the 1970s, the U.S. has depended on the petrodollar system, which tied oil sales to the dollar and made it the backbone of the global financial system. This gave Washington unmatched power to fund its deficits and expand influence. But this privilege is no longer guaranteed. The BRICS group is working to reduce reliance on the dollar. With Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining, Arabs now play a direct role in shaping the future of the global system. Any serious move to price oil in other currencies would shake the foundation of U.S. dominance.
Meanwhile, Israel, with open U.S. support, pushes Netanyahu’s “New Middle East” project, which aims to secure full regional dominance. This vision is reflected in the destruction of Gaza, the swallowing of the West Bank, plans for forced migration, and strikes on Lebanon, Syria, and even Qatar. It is a project that destabilizes the region, yet Washington still sees it as part of its interests.
Israel has no economic weight compared to the Arabs. Yet it enjoys exceptional military and political support. Arabs, however, hold far greater cards: oil, gas, sea routes, and sovereign wealth funds. If these are used in a united stance, they become a stronger pressure tool than U.S. military aid to Israel.
Arab action should not stop at economics. It can also include freezing or reviewing peace treaties and halting new normalization efforts. Combined with the leverage of oil and investments, this would send Washington a clear message: continued bias toward Israel will come at a real cost.
Inside America, Israel’s narrative is losing ground. More young people and universities reject blind bias, especially after the Gaza war. Europe, tied economically to the Arab world, may also move closer to supporting a united Arab stance if Arabs act with confidence.
What is needed now is a clear Arab position that links economics with politics. It should declare that a two-state solution is the only path to normal relations with the United States. If Washington ignores this, Arabs must review their alliances and shift investments and markets to other partners.
The 1973 oil embargo proved that Arabs can change global positions when united. Today, with even stronger tools, they cannot afford to remain passive while the map of the region is redrawn at their expense. If America insists on blind bias, it is America that will lose its strategic privileges. For Arabs, unity is the only guarantee to turn economic and political weight into real influence on the global stage.
The United States now faces a delicate balance in the Middle East. On one side, it has a strong strategic alliance with Israel based on military and intelligence power. On the other, it relies on deep economic ties with Arab states that hold oil, gas, and large sovereign investments. Yet Washington continues to ignore this fact. It treats Arabs as financial and oil tools, while giving Israel unconditional superiority. The question is: how long can America walk this tightrope without paying a strategic price?
Since the 1970s, the U.S. has depended on the petrodollar system, which tied oil sales to the dollar and made it the backbone of the global financial system. This gave Washington unmatched power to fund its deficits and expand influence. But this privilege is no longer guaranteed. The BRICS group is working to reduce reliance on the dollar. With Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining, Arabs now play a direct role in shaping the future of the global system. Any serious move to price oil in other currencies would shake the foundation of U.S. dominance.
Meanwhile, Israel, with open U.S. support, pushes Netanyahu’s “New Middle East” project, which aims to secure full regional dominance. This vision is reflected in the destruction of Gaza, the swallowing of the West Bank, plans for forced migration, and strikes on Lebanon, Syria, and even Qatar. It is a project that destabilizes the region, yet Washington still sees it as part of its interests.
Israel has no economic weight compared to the Arabs. Yet it enjoys exceptional military and political support. Arabs, however, hold far greater cards: oil, gas, sea routes, and sovereign wealth funds. If these are used in a united stance, they become a stronger pressure tool than U.S. military aid to Israel.
Arab action should not stop at economics. It can also include freezing or reviewing peace treaties and halting new normalization efforts. Combined with the leverage of oil and investments, this would send Washington a clear message: continued bias toward Israel will come at a real cost.
Inside America, Israel’s narrative is losing ground. More young people and universities reject blind bias, especially after the Gaza war. Europe, tied economically to the Arab world, may also move closer to supporting a united Arab stance if Arabs act with confidence.
What is needed now is a clear Arab position that links economics with politics. It should declare that a two-state solution is the only path to normal relations with the United States. If Washington ignores this, Arabs must review their alliances and shift investments and markets to other partners.
The 1973 oil embargo proved that Arabs can change global positions when united. Today, with even stronger tools, they cannot afford to remain passive while the map of the region is redrawn at their expense. If America insists on blind bias, it is America that will lose its strategic privileges. For Arabs, unity is the only guarantee to turn economic and political weight into real influence on the global stage.
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Arabs and America: Economics vs. the Alliance with Israel
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