Editor's note: Hamzah Rifaat Hussain, a former visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, is a TV anchor at Indus News in Pakistan. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Unrest in Jerusalem with clashes between Israelis and Palestinians and a deadlock over the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has once again put the spotlight on U.S. policy making in the Middle East. Lack of sensitivity or any constructive approach towards peace building has meant that the Biden administration's policies have failed.

Events that have unfolded in the Middle East this month once again point at how sustainable peace has eluded a region that has been historically embroiled in intractable conflicts. Whether it is unrest in Jerusalem or a sustained impasse on the planned resuscitation of the 2015 JCPOA, the region continues to be plagued by uncertainty as major stakeholders of the deal remain at odds over how to resolve their longstanding issues. The U.S. which has played a key role in all major conflicts in the region has once again failed to provide strategic solutions or peace mechanisms despite claiming to be a guarantor of peace. As conflict zones witness a surge in violence and deeply ingrained mistrust, Washington's entire approach is exposed as hollow and parochial.

Take as example the recent tensions in Jerusalem as part of the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Biden administration has so far done little to reverse Trump-era policy blunders which had alienated one stakeholder at the expense of the other and resulted in the prolongation of tensions. Note that both Israeli and Palestinian leaderships are far from reaching a peace deal with the latest violence at the Al Aqsa mosque in the month of Ramadan mirroring the enabling factors, which had resulted in the 2021 unrest. The devastation and destruction wrought in 2021 has not provided any lessons for the Biden administration which has not proposed a mechanism for mediation, negotiations or starting stalled talks between the two sides.

There have also not been any calls to urge all sides to comply with United Nations resolutions which involves respecting the sanctity of holy sites in Jerusalem, as was expressed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. The two-state solution, as the best formula for both Israelis and Palestinians, has either been ignored or not debated in the U.S. Congress, which has otherwise been occupied or obsessed with imposing sanctions on other countries. The result of such callousness comes in the form of massive casualties, live ammunition being employed and widespread destruction, all under America's watch.  

Perhaps what explains American apathy for the Israel-Palestine conflict is its preoccupation with the Ukraine crisis and diplomacy focused on alliance building, escalation and aggressive posturing instead of peace. Note that beyond coverage of the unrest in Jerusalem there has not been a single policy statement issued by the White House to condemn the violence or urge all sides to exercise restraint. On the other hand, other world leaders have been quick to denounce the violence while highlighting the plight of the Palestinians which needs to be immediately addressed.

American apathy however is not limited to the Israel-Palestine conflict alone. Iran's concerns over the JCPOA nuclear deal impasse have also been left unaddressed with the U.S. State Department claiming that Tehran must address concerns beyond the scope of the nuclear deal for its implementation. This narrative stands in stark contrast to how countries as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China have continued to urge swift revival and have remained within the agreement in the face of American resistance.

Moreover, America's policies have resulted in Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium standing close to 2,105 kilograms as per the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which amounts to 10 times more the amount than when it was complying with the deal in September 2020. At the same time, the risk of proliferation in the Middle East is also palpable as the Ebrahim Raisi administration remains defiant and sceptic in the face of the Biden administration's unresponsiveness.

Such cavalier attitudes in the absence of viable conflict resolution mechanisms and teetering over a nuclear deal which could define the security architecture of the Middle East for years to come have meant the Biden administration has once again failed in the Middle East. It seems as if Washington will only be concerned about regional security if it seeks to initiate government change as was the case in Iraq which resulted in a complete breakdown of security and the proliferation of proxies.

Hence, solutions must come from regional governments and existing multilateral mechanisms as any expectation of a constructive American role in peace building is unrealistic.

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