Wary of ‘the ugly American’, the Arab world is leaning towards China and Russia

This is pushing many of us who were educated and worked in the West to turn our eyes away from the Western media and seek news from media outlets in the East.

Since the Cold War ended, the US’ relationships with Arab countries have been defined by its imperial ambitions and intervention in their internal affairs. The bloodshed in Gaza and Washington’s exploitative policy in the Middle East have caused Arabs to further distance themselves from the West and to deepen their ties with the East. Arabs now see Beijing and Moscow as genuine mediators in the Middle East.

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Where China stands on the Israel-Gaza war

As rising military and economic superpowers, China and Russia have gained the respect of Arabs. It has become axiomatic among Arabs today that Beijing and Moscow, unlike Washington, have no political aspirations in their dealings with Middle Eastern countries – that is, they do not seek to meddle in these nations’ internal affairs – and that their ties with Arab states are mainly founded on trade and diplomatic cooperation.

For example, a recent survey conducted by an Arab news platform showed that most Arab youth trust China and Russia more than the US and the UK, with Beijing and Moscow described as an “ally”, and Washington and London denounced as an “enemy”.

From my Cairene suburban abode, I often hear Arabs praise the rise of China and Russia and joyfully proclaim that the age of the American empire has ended. It has become common to hear Egyptians shout anti-American slogans and denounce the Biden administration as the “great evil”.

Alas, observing Biden’s policy in the Middle East is like watching a bad horror film. It is haunted by the US’ policy mistakes in Southeast Asia during the 1950s. In the 1970s, the US