Blinken's unspoken truths

The body language on his latest Mideast tour tells the tale of America's tenuous position in the region

Secretary of State Antony Blinken's latest Middle Eastern tour sought to paint a facade of confidence and reassurance on the bleak canvas of a region in crisis. But it was less of a diplomatic success and more a masterclass in the art of geopolitical charades.

As a journalist and foreign policy expert, I pay a lot of attention to what leaders say. I often roll my eyes at the parsed talking points. But as scripted and rehearsed as their statements are, they are designed to send a message to other nations and influence global public opinion.

Last week, I paid as much attention to Blinken’s body language, and that of the leaders he met, as I did to their rhetoric. In my view, the differences between Blinken’s body language in Israel, compared to the rest of the countries he visited, was telling – and reflective of America’s damaged image in the region over its blind support for Israel.

When I want to know about the story behind such non-verbal cues, I turn to my good friend

Janine Driver

, author of the New York Times bestseller, You Can’t Lie To Me. Janine and I met about 10 years ago in the green room at CNN after an interview I did with then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She said when Clinton laughed and clutched her chest, she wasn’t being forthcoming with answers. That’s why they call Janine "The Lyin Tamer." Get it?

Janine has taught me so much about what is left unsaid in diplomacy and in life. Her Substack,

In the Driver's Seat

is a treasure trove of information about human behavior and emotional intelligence. These subtle non-verbal cues, which Janine trained FBI and CIA agents to decipher, offer a backstage pass to the story behind the story.

Janine and I teamed up this week to analyze Blinken’s trip, and I encourage you to read her fascinating post breaking down Blinken and Arab leaders' body language. We are going to offer a conversation next week about how emotional intelligence affects how the world is reacting to the war in Gaza.

Now back to the Middle East. Picture Blinken, a diplomatic Don Quixote, traversing the region from Ankara to Riyadh with the grace of a ballroom dancer whose shoes are just a tad too tight.

His role – part peacemaker, part crisis manager – was to convince a skeptical audience of Arab leaders that the U.S. can pressure Israel into ending the fighting and embracing a post-war vision for Gaza. Not just any ceasefire, but a transformative halt leading to substantive negotiations for a conflict-ending peace deal. It’s like trying to persuade a cat to take a bath – theoretically possible, but a Herculean feat fraught with scratches and hisses.

Sitting across from Arab and Turkish leaders, Blinken's posture betrayed a subtle but unmistakable defensiveness. His seemingly casual stance, hands at his sides, signals an America willing to engage, to listen. But there's a tension there, a physical embodiment of the tightrope the U.S is walking.

The forced, tense smile in the photo with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the somber look when meeting with Palestinian President Abbas and the fight for dominance in his handshake with Turkish President Erdogan reveal an America conscious of its power, yet aware of its limits.

(You MUST check out Janine’s fascinating analysis of MBS's different body language during his meetings with Blinken and Senator Lindsey Graham and her explanation of geopolitical peacocking at its finest. )

The fate of Biden’s intense diplomacy with Arab leaders depended on Israel softening its unyielding position on the invasion and its ambiguous stance on Gaza’s future governance. Perhaps that is why by the time he arrived in Tel Aviv, Blinken's usual diplomatic bravado transformed into a more deferential posture, his face laden with tension, anxiety and disappointment in the face of Netanyahu’s unwavering confidence.

As he departed, his briefcase laden with unfulfilled aspirations, Blinken’s almost submissive display seemed reflective of the lack of influence the US has to sway Israeli policy.

So there you have it – Blinken's Middle Eastern saga, a blend of diplomacy, subtlety, and the unspoken truths of body language, playing out on the world's most complicated stage. In this diplomatic game of thrones, it seems, even the mightiest of players are dancing to tunes they can’t hear.