The results of the Georgia run-off election, which were won by Democratic candidates John Usoff and Raphael Warnock, bolstered President-elect Joe Biden's administration to implement many of the political promises he made during his campaign.
After Biden reached the White House, and the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, the House of Representatives had a majority of 222 seats compared to 212 Republicans, and the two parties in the Senate were tied with 50 seats for both, which leaves the most likely vote if the votes are equal in the hands of Vice President Kamala Harris, the ability of President Biden to increase Freedom of movement and maneuver towards internal issues, but the matter differs greatly with external issues.
Despite the pivotal role of the White House in making and implementing foreign policy, the opposition that will be represented by the Republican Party limits Biden’s ability to take a stand alone decision on some issues, especially with regard to the Iranian file, while Biden is awaiting internal confrontations from the left-wing Democratic Party, which has grown stronger over the years. The latter concerns other issues, foremost of which are the Yemen war, the Palestinian issue, and human rights issues.
Biden’s choices for the foreign policy team have so far come entirely from former officials in the administration of President Barack Obama, of whom Biden was his deputy for 8 years, to send messages that pave the way for adopting policies that are not far from what the Obama administration has adopted.
Issues and positions that Republicans oppose
Washington's return to the nuclear deal poses a challenge to Biden, as Republicans oppose this move, at a time when it is not widely unanimous among Democrats.
Biden confirmed his intention to reinstate the nuclear agreement signed with Iran, which was canceled by President Trump, but stipulated for this "Tehran's return to compliance" with international decisions.
There is still no information available on whether Biden will halt Trump's maximum pressure campaign on Tehran, which has severely damaged the Iranian economy.
The Republicans will only be satisfied with the continuation of the similar approach to the Trump administration in putting pressure on Iran, supported by the Israeli lobby and the lobbies of some Arab Gulf states in Washington.
Biden pledged to adopt a three-dimensional policy that includes a commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and the second dimension provides for a clear path back to diplomacy and negotiation, as it works with his country's allies to strengthen and expand the terms of the nuclear deal.
The third dimension is to continue to act against Tehran's "destabilizing activities that threaten the friends and partners of the United States in the region."
This vision will not satisfy the hawks of the Republicans who have pledged to work to obstruct the return of the nuclear agreement with Iran, at the same time the Democratic left trend does not accept anything less than a complete return to the nuclear agreement, from which the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew.
Bernie Sanders is one of the most prominent symbols of the left current within the Democratic Party (Al-Jazeera)
Positions opposed by the leftist current
The issue of Washington’s relations with Israel and the Palestinians is on top of foreign policy issues that are expected to cause a rift in Biden’s relations with the left-wing figures in the Democratic Party.
During the past few years the hostility of the representatives of the left-wing movement in the party, led by Senator Bernie Sanders, Representatives Alexandrea Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, has deepened the US unilateral rapprochement with Israel, and Trump fully adopts the Israeli positions.
The pledge of Biden and Anthony Blinken, a candidate for the position of Secretary of State, to work to re-negotiate the two-state solution, while not backing down on the steps taken by Trump unilaterally in favor of Israel, sparked anger within the leftist movement.
Biden’s political program did not include any reversal of the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to transfer the US embassy to it.
Kamala Harris, the vice president, also confirmed at a meeting of Jewish financiers for Biden's campaign that no conditions were placed on Washington's aid to Israel. And ensuring that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge. "
On the other hand, Biden pledged to stop interfering in the war in Yemen by stopping support for the Arab coalition and stopping exporting weapons to his countries, while pledging not to continue the policy of President Donald Trump's administration, "which gives a blank check and supports authoritarian practices, internal rivalries, and proxy wars." Several left-wing commentators say this was the perfect campaign rhetoric to attract the votes of the left-wing Democrats only.
Human rights issues
President-elect Joe Biden's record does not reflect a clear commitment to support human rights issues within the US foreign policy agenda with Middle Eastern countries.
Historically, Biden has ignored human rights issues in his country's dealings with allied countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, whether through his work in the Senate as a senator on the Foreign Relations Committee, or as Vice President Obama.
Left-wing observers expect that Biden's promises to take into account the issues of freedoms, human rights and democracy will not be translated into official positions and policies towards allied countries with a poor human rights record, while they have strategic relations with the United States, which also predicts confrontations with the party's leftists who attach great importance to rights files. Rights in the countries allied to Washington.