Conflicts & Crises

Despite its small size, Qatar has historically played an outsize role in negotiating with organizations or countries that the U.S. doesn’t have relations with. Most recently, Qatar is helping to negotiate the release of hostages taken on Oct. 7 from Israel by Hamas. 

The difference is not simply semantic.

In 2022, there were about 170,000 troops stationed outside of the U.S. and its territories, according to the Department of Defense. As of June 2023, there were over 30,000 troops stationed in the Middle East alone, before America expanded its military presence following Hamas' attack on Israel in October. 

"Only last week we were in Jerusalem, in the Dead Sea together, hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian women calling the leaders of both sides to begin negotiations before things escalated. We cannot live like this anymore. We deserve peace. All of us in this region." -Dr. Yael Braudo-Bahat, Women Wage Peace

Before Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,400 people, most Germans thought Israelis were slightly more responsible than Palestinians for the conflict between them. But new polling shows that the recent violence has changed public opinion in Germany.

"My family's been waiting patiently in these decrepit refugee camps for 75 years. And it looks like now, they're going to be displaced again." - Fidaa Elaydi, Palestinian American

"I think for the first time in my life, I truly felt personally affected and moved and despairful about a political situation that's happening thousands of miles away." - Kevin Khadavi, Student at Stanford University

Biden sent Congress a request on Oct. 20 for $14.3 billion in aid for Israel. The U.S. and Israel have what has historically been called a “special relationship,” and the U.S. has given more money to Israel than any other country since 1946.

While the U.S. and Israel have what has historically been called a “special relationship,” the U.S. has also given funds directly to the Palestinian territories and is often among the top donors to a United Nations agency that runs Palestinian refugee camps.  

President Biden announced while in Israel this week that Egypt has agreed to allow 20 trucks filled with humanitarian aid to enter into the Gaza Strip.