𝖯𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖧𝖺𝗋𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 sur X : ▻https://twitter.com/PeterHarling/status/1734855908486676928
In the nine weeks since the start of the Gaza war, Western diplomacies have produced almost nothing: no political framework, no humanitarian plan, nothing but shallow statements. A pro-Israel bias is part of the reason, but there are structural aspects too 🧵
Weak leadership. Over the years, ministers of foreign affairs have become distinctly mediocre. Presidents used to delegate international relations to empowered statespeople. Now they place cronies, only to project their own petty politicking outward.
Self-combustion. Meanwhile, internal processes are all-consuming. As no one sets a clear direction, too many people haggle over detail, in a policy-making process always overtaken by events, ever catching up. The UN is a sum of such parties.
Shades of grey. Within this bubble, trivial nuances are battlegrounds. Western diplomats fight hard over empty words, in resolutions vetoed anyway. Europeans blame Americans, who blame Europeans, as if their positions hadn’t largely converged.
Self-justification. There is no understating the enormous amount of energy, time, and talent vested in this charade. That becomes part of the problem: All concerned work so much, in good faith, that criticism inevitably is unfair. But who, then, is in charge?