The relentless Israeli attack on Gaza, culminating in the bombing of al-Ahli Arab Hospital that claimed more than 400 lives, has sparked widespread outrage across the Arab world. The populace, enraged by the West’s unwavering support for Israel, has taken to the streets in protest, with confrontations involving tear gas and water cannons reported in Beirut, Tunis, and Cairo.
In the midst of this turmoil, the Western foreign policy and its soft power are being vehemently rejected. Soft power is a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of cultural centres, civil society funding, educational outreach, events, and consumption of cultural products. But as nations like China, India, and Russia begin to challenge the traditional European and US power bases, soft power is becoming as critical as military power.
However, the Western world’s unwavering support for Israel amidst the Gaza bombardment has led to a surge of anti-Western sentiment across the region. The protesters, viewing the West’s stance as hypocritical, are calling out the preference for Israeli lives over their own.
The West’s presence in Tunisia, for instance, is seen as a continuation of colonialism, with the Israel-Gaza conflict viewed as an extension of this legacy. Tunisian activist Henda Chennaoui predicts a further spread of anti-Western attitudes, urging the recognition and discussion of the end of colonial times.
Despite the escalating anti-Western sentiment, the bond between the US and Israel remains strong. The US provides Israel with $3.3bn in annual military aid, and recently, US President Joe Biden visited Israel, showing his support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Gala Riani, head of strategic intelligence at the security agency S-RM, suggested that the West’s soft power is not completely ineffective, despite the growing wariness that began with the invasion of Iraq two decades ago and former US President Barack Obama’s Middle Eastern policy shift.
Nonetheless, Western influence is facing increasing resistance within the MENA region. In Tunisia, for instance, I Watch, a leading anti-corruption NGO, has announced that it will no longer accept US funding due to its support for Israel. There’s also a growing belief amongst the Tunisian populace that many local NGOs are merely fronts for Western influence and double standards.
Meanwhile, advertisements for the Russia Today news channel have increased since the early October invasion of Israel by Hamas, suggesting that international competitors are eyeing traditionally European media spaces. Tunisian essayist and commentator Hatem Nafti believes that it will be challenging for the West to recover from this situation.
Joost Hiltermann, MENA programme director for the International Crisis Group, agreed, suggesting that European soft power is on the decline. He pointed out that some European politicians’ support for Israel at the start of the war, with little mention of the Palestinian struggle, could be costly for Europe’s influence in the Middle East.