Power and Rationality in American Political Discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian and Lebanese Conflict 2023-2024

Section: Research Paper
Issue
Vol. 20 No. 68 (2026): Regional Studies Journal, Vol. 20, No. 68
Pages
39-64

Abstract

Objectives: The research aims to identify the power and rationality of the political discourse, to monitor and explore the data of the political discourse of the American President (Joe Biden) during the remainder of his presidential term regarding the course of the Israeli-Palestinian and Lebanese conflicts, to describe it, and to analyze the nature of the duality of power and rationality in this discourse.


  Methods: The research employs discourse analysis to reveal how U.S. political discourse utilizes the languages of power and rationality to shape positions and justify policies regarding the conflict. It also applies a descriptive-analytical approach to describe and analyze the U.S. discourse.


    Results: The study finds that President Biden’s speeches display a clear duality: the language of power is employed forcefully when addressing Hamas and Hezbollah, while the language of rationality is used gently and calmly in approaching relations with Israel. This reflects a deeply rooted strategic bias in U.S. foreign policy. Furthermore, Biden’s discourse during 2023–2024 was not merely reactive to war events but formed part of a recurring and entrenched rhetorical structure balancing power and rationality.


    Conclusion: The contradiction in U.S. political discourse—between rationality and bias toward Israel on one hand, and the use of power and imposition on Palestinians and Lebanese on the other—reflects the challenges U.S. foreign policy faces in reconciling democratic values with strategic interests, including Israel’s security, in the Middle East. 


 

References

  1. المصادر والمراجع
  2. أ‌. العربية.
  3. البدري، م. م. (2019). نظرية الاختيار العقلاني وبدائلها في السياسة الخارجية والعلاقات الدولية. سياسات عربية. معهد الدوحة للدراسات العليا والمركز العربي للأبحاث ودراسة السياسات. 7(41). 75-88.
  4. https://siyasatarabiya.dohainstitute.org/ar/41/Pages/Siyassat41-2019-El-Badry.pdf
  5. الجزيرة نت. (2023). الهدنة الإنسانية المؤقتة في غزة 2023.. بنودها وتفاصيلها. موسعة فلسطين.
  6. https://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/2023/11/29/
  7. الشاوش، ع. م. ع. (2023). القوة التحويلية للخطاب السياسي في إقناع وتشكيل الرأي العام. مجلة شمال إفريقيا للنشر العلمي. 1(4). 137-153. https://doi.org/10.65414/najsp.v1i4.87
  8. الشمري، ح. ع. (2012). التحليل اللغوي للخطاب السياسي: تحليل الخطاب السياسي في حملة الانتخابات الامريكية للمرشح لباراك أوباما والمرشح الجمهوري جون مكيـن. الملف السياسي. (105). 4-5.
  9. https://cis.uobaghdad.edu.iq/?p=111
  10. المركز العربي للأبحاث ودراسة السياسات. (2023). موقف إدارة بايدن من العدوان الإسرائيلي على قطاع غزة: خلفيات الانحياز وحساباته.
  11. https://www.dohainstitute.org/ar/PoliticalStudies/Pages/the-biden-administration-response-to-the-war-on-gaza-calculated-bias.aspx
  12. بن مكي، ف. (2018). محاضرات في تحليل الخطاب. كلية علوم الإعلام والاتصال. جامعة الجزائر3. 3-93. https://dspace.univ-alger3.dz/jspui/bitstream/123456789/9061/1/
  13. بورزان، ف. (2025). الصراع على المعنى: كيف تتحول اللغة في ميدان للسياسة؟. كروم.
  14. https://chroum.com/article/
  15. عبد اللطيف، ع. (2021). تحليل خطابات القادة.. المناهج الغربية والخصوصية العربية. مجلة السياسة الدولية. 56(226). 11-16.
  16. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362909115_thlyl_khtabat_alqadtalmnahj_alghrbyt_walkhswsyt_alrbyt
  17. كشكول، ح. ع. ورشيد، م. م. (2018). الخطاب الإعلامي الأمريكي وعلاقته بالخطاب السياسي والدعائي. مجلة الدراسات الإعلامية. المركز الديمقراطي العربي. برلين. (4). 163-192.
  18. https://democraticac.de/?p=55850
  19. فرع بنغازي. (2024). لماذا يتصاعد الجدل حول "اللغة" في العلاقات الدولية؟
  20. https://lcss.gov.ly/articles/blog/post-579/
  21. مبروك. ا. (2021). الخطاب السياسي. الموسوعة السياسية.
  22. https://political-encyclopedia.org/dictionary/
  23. محررو سياسور. (2024). ميشيل فوكو: بين السلطة والمعرفة – تحليل فلسفي لتطور المفاهيم الاجتماعية والسياسية. https://siasur.com/almawsuea
  24. محمد، أ. م.، وشاكر، ر. م. (2021). عقلنة الخطاب السياسي لتحديد مستقبل العلاقة بين الحكومة الاتحادية وإقليم كردستان. مجلة بحوث الشرق الأوسط. 9(68). 125-148.
  25. https://doi.org/10.21608/mercj.2021.205796
  26. ب. المصادر مترجمة إلى اللغة الانكليزية
  27. El-Badry, M. M. (2019). Rational Choice Theory and its Alternatives in Foreign Policy and International Relations. Arab Policies. Doha Institute for Graduate Studies and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. 7(41). 75-88.
  28. https://siyasatarabiya.dohainstitute.org/ar/41/Pages/Siyassat41-2019-El-Badry.pdf
  29. Al Jazeera Net. (2023). The Temporary Humanitarian Truce in Gaza 2023: Its Terms and Details. Palestine Encyclopedia.
  30. https://www.aljazeera.net/encyclopedia/2023/11/29/
  31. Al-Shawish, A. M. A. (2023). The Transformative Power of Political Discourse in Persuading and Shaping Public Opinion. North Africa Journal of Scientific Publishing. 1(4). 137-153. https://doi.org/10.65414/najsp.v1i4.87
  32. Al-Shammari, H. A. (2012). Linguistic Analysis of Political Discourse: Political Discourse Analysis in the US Election Campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain. Political File. (105). 4-5. https://cis.uobaghdad.edu.iq/?p=111
  33. Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. (2023). The Biden Administration's Position on the Israeli Aggression against the Gaza Strip: Backgrounds and Calculations of Bias.
  34. https://www.dohainstitute.org/ar/PoliticalStudies/Pages/the-biden-administration-response-to-the-war-on-gaza-calculated-bias.aspx
  35. Ben Mekki, F. (2018). Lectures in Discourse Analysis. Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences. University of Algiers 3. 3-93. https://dspace.univ-alger3.dz/jspui/bitstream/123456789/9061/1/
  36. Bourzan, F. (2025). The Struggle for Meaning: How Does Language Transform in the Field of Politics? Chroum.
  37. https://chroum.com/article/
  38. Abdellatif, A. (2021). Analyzing Leaders' Speeches: Western Approaches and Arab Specificity. International Politics Journal. 56(226). 11-16.
  39. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362909115_thlyl_khtabat_alqadtalmnahj_alghrbyt_walkhswsyt_alrbyt
  40. Kashkoul, H. A. and Rachid, M. M. (2018). American Media Discourse and its Relationship to Political and Propaganda Discourse. Journal of Media Studies. Arab Democratic Center. Berlin. (4). 163-192.
  41. https://democraticac.de/?p=55850
  42. Benghazi Branch. (2024). Why is the debate over "language" escalating in international relations?
  43. https://lcss.gov.ly/articles/blog/post-579/
  44. Mabrouk, A. (2021). Political Discourse. Political Encyclopedia.
  45. https://political-encyclopedia.org/dictionary/
  46. Siasur Editors. (2024). Michel Foucault: Between Power and Knowledge – A Philosophical Analysis of the Evolution of Social and Political Concepts. https://siasur.com/almawsuea
  47. Mohammed, A. M., & Shaker, R. M. (2021). Rationalizing Political Discourse to Determine the Future of the Relationship between the Federal Government and the Kurdistan Region. Middle East Research Journal. 9(68). 125-148.
  48. https://doi.org/10.21608/mercj.2021.205796
  49. C. References
  50. Flyvbjerg, B. (1998). Rationality and Power. (S. Sampson, Trans.) the University of Chicago Press.
  51. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233869950_Rationality_and_Power
  52. Oraibi, H. A. (2022). A Socio-Pragmatic Study of Position as Power Dynamic in the American Political Discourse. Master Thesis. College of Education for Human Sciences. University of Kerbala. 17-18.
  53. https://uokerbala.edu.iq/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Rp_A-Socio-Pragmatic-Study-of-Position-as-Power-Dynamic-in-the-American-Political-Discourse.pdf
  54. Susilowati, M., & Ulkhasanah, W. (2020). Ideology and Power in Presidential Speech. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210421.123
  55. The New York Times. (2023). Hamas Leaves Trail of Terror in Israel.
  56. https://web.archive.org/web/20231021082104/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-war-hamas-deaths-killings.html
  57. The White House. (2023). Remarks by President Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff at Roundtable with Jewish Community Leaders.
  58. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches- remarks/2023/10/11/remarks-by-president-biden-and-second-gentleman-douglas-emhoff-at-roundtable-with-jewish-community-leaders/.
  59. The White House. (2023). Remarks by President Biden on the October 7th Terrorist Attacks and the Resilience of the State of Israel and its People.
  60. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/10/18/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-october-7th-terrorist-attacks-and-the-resilience-of-the-state-of-israel-and-its-people-tel-aviv-israel/.
  61. The White House. (2023). WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Gives Oval Office Address on the United States’ Response to Hamas’ Terrorist Attacks Against Israel and Russia’s Ongoing Brutal War Against Ukraine. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/20/what-they-are-saying-president-biden-gives-oval-office-address-on-the-united-states-response-to-hamas-terrorist-attacks-against-israel-and-russias-ongoing-brutal-war-against.
  62. The White House. (2023). Remarks by President Biden and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia in Joint Press Conference.
  63. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/10/25/remarks-by-president-biden-and-prime-minister-anthony-albanese-of-australia-in-joint-press-conference/.
  64. The White House. (2023). Remarks by President Biden on the Release of Hostages from Gaza.
  65. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/11/24/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-release-of-hostages-from-gaza/.
  66. The White House. (2023). Remarks by President Biden on the Terrorist Attacks in Israel.
  67. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/10/10/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-terrorist-attacks-in-israel-2/
  68. The White House. (2023). Remarks by President Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff at Roundtable with Jewish Community Leaders.
  69. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2023/10/11/remarks-by-president-biden-and-second-gentleman-douglas-emhoff-at-roundtable-with-jewish-community-leaders/
  70. The White House. (2024). Remarks by President Biden on the Middle East. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/05/31/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-middle-east-2/
  71. The White House. (2024). Remarks by President Biden Before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
  72. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/09/24/remarks-by-president-biden-before-the-79th-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly-new-york-ny/
  73. The White House. (2024). Remarks by President Biden Announcing Cessation of Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah.
  74. https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/11/26/remarks-by-president-biden-announcing-cessation-of-hostilities-between-israel-and-hezbollah/
  75. Van Dijk, T. A. (2003). Political discourse and ideology. Doxa Comunicación. Revista Interdisciplinar De Estudios De Comunicación Y Ciencias Sociales, 1, 207-225. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n1a12

Author

Mohammad S. Mohmood Ahmad

College of Political Sciences/ University of Mosul/ Iraq.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.33899/rsj.v20i68.61280

Download this PDF file
pdf (Arabic)

Statistics

How to Cite

Power and Rationality in American Political Discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian and Lebanese Conflict 2023-2024. (2026). مجلة دراسات إقلیمیة, 20(68), 39-64. https://doi.org/10.33899/rsj.v20i68.61280
Copyright and Licensing
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Power and Rationality in American Political Discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian and Lebanese Conflict 2023-2024. (2026). مجلة دراسات إقلیمیة, 20(68), 39-64. https://doi.org/10.33899/rsj.v20i68.61280