From most reports, we would seem to be on the cusp of a major break between Israel and the Biden Administration. This from a president who for months robustly cheered Israel on in its pursuit of its goal of eliminating the threat posed by Hamas. A president who regularly assured that he would never condition U.S. arms supplies on Israel’s conforming its war policy to his liking.
But Mr. Biden is now a president who said that Rafah, the last stronghold of Hamas where its remnants are holed up, is off limits – a “red line” as it were – to the IDF unless they come up with some magical way to ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians who he concedes are exploited by Hamas as human shields. Nor was it too long ago that members of his own administration acknowledged that the IDF took precautions to avoid harm to civilians beyond what any other military ever did or now does.
He is now a president who will only say that he will “never cut off weapons [to Israel] so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.” But what about weapons needed for the critical strategic and tactical need to bring the battle to the enemy?
He is now a president that now freely embraces Hamas’ numbers of deaths and casualties, despite their notorious history of lying, lack of transparency and a morbid, vested interest in claiming ever higher numbers.
He is now a president who seeks to undermine the duly elected government of Israel in the throes of one of its most precarious periods ever. Incredibly, he says Prime Minister Netanyahu’s war policies are harming Israel such that it would be useful if he could address the Knesset directly. And his Vice President says no one should conflate the interests of Israel with those of the Netanyahu government.
He is now a president who seems poised to enforce his vision of a two-state solution on Israel premised on the laughable notion of a demilitarized Palestinian state. Who exactly will disarm Hamas if not the IDF and now.
Make no mistake about it. President Biden is moving towards a ceasefire in place with Hamas remaining as a viable military force. He is literally handing victory to Hamas.
Where is his outrage over Hamas’ cynical human trafficking in hostages?
