US Envoy: I Don't Trust Anyone in the Middle East, Including Israel

The US Special Representative for Syria and Ambassador in Ankara, Tom Barrack, has made a series of unusually sharp and unexpected statements, addressing the contradictions and challenges of United States policy in the Middle East. His words shed light on the complex and ambiguous relations between the US and its key ally, Israel, as well as the deep distrust of regional players.

Israel has a special place for Washington, but we do not trust it, the American diplomat said almost verbatim. Tom Barrack emphasized the huge US support provided to Israel, noting: "We subsidize Israel with 4-5 billion dollars a year. Israel occupies a special place in America's heart." However, these "special relations" do not mean blind trust or a complete coincidence of interests.

The diplomat spoke very critically of the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing him as an unpredictable leader who does not recognize borders. "Netanyahu is not concerned with borders, whether they are red, blue, or green. If he feels that his borders or people are in danger, he will go anywhere and do whatever he deems necessary. Period," Barrack said.

In this context, he openly admitted: "I don't trust anyone in the Middle East. Our interests do not coincide. Including Israel."

Barrack also touched upon the problem of Hezbollah and the policy pursued by the US in Lebanon. In his opinion, Hezbollah has absolutely no incentive to lay down its arms, especially in conditions where Israel continues its aggressive actions. "Israel attacks everyone: Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia," he noted.

Then the American diplomat pointed to the logical dead end of Washington's policy: "We are arming the Lebanese army so that it will disarm Hezbollah. Who else should they fight against? After all, we are not going to arm them to fight against Israel, are we? It turns out that you are arming them to fight against their own people."