Ishaan Tharoor: Joe Biden’s Middle East peace plan cannot ignore the Palestinians

A Palestinian child at a school sheltering displaced people in Deir Al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, receives food cooked by World Central Kitchen, after the charity resumed operations. Photo: Reuters

Ishaan Tharoor
© Washington Post

On the face of it, US president Joe Biden’s grand vision for the Middle East makes plenty of sense.

Israel, an American ally and beneficiary of many billions of dollars in US military aid, would see its regional security fears quelled through an overt set of alliances with some of its Arab neighbours. Those Arab states, mostly ruled by Sunni monarchs, would reap the dividends of a closer relationship with a country known for its high-tech sector and cutting-edge defence industries. Iran, an antagonist for all these parties, would find its reach and ambitions checked by an interwoven thicket of foes.