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Biden and the Democrats Are About to Abandon Israel
We knew weeks ago that Biden’s support of Israel, no matter how resolute it sounded, was not on solid ground. He is being battered by his staff, the overall Administration, and now Congress, trying to get him to tie the hands of the Israelis in their efforts to defeat Hamas. Naturally, everyone couches their recommendations in “humanitarian concerns”; I think, instead that all these protests are determined to ensure that Israel loses the war.
Let’s review the strong words that Biden used at the beginning:
‘The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel.
‘Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people… My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.’
Didn’t he sound resolute and impressive?
Yet since those days, the Biden Administration has continued to exert pressure on Israel. They are less concerned with Israel’s determination to defend its people. They insist that Israel should agree to more “pauses” to meet Hamas’ requirements for releasing hostages; Hamas will certainly use that time to rearm and re-stock and continue to demand that incarcerated Palestinians be released by the Israelis.
Biden has made clear that he wants this war finished:
‘My expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down, to bring this to an end as quickly as we can,’ Biden said.
Translated: they need to get this war over before the US elections, if not sooner.
I learned from my research that the U.S. has been less than helpful in past years in supporting Israel:
Israeli commanders certainly understood the fickleness of Washington’s declared support for their military offensive from the start, as Washington has an undistinguished record of abandoning its Israeli ally in times of peril.
During the IDF’s military incursions in Gaza in 2009 and 2014, for example, the Israelis were forced to stop fighting within three weeks, with ceasefires brokered on both occasions by Egypt and forced on Israel by Washington.
Indeed, Washington’s willingness to impose ceasefires on Israel when its forces have clearly established a military advantage on the battlefield against their enemies has been a constant feature throughout Israel’s 75-year existence.
I can’t help but ask, just which side is Biden really supporting?
In spite of the evidence that Hamas uses hospitals as screens to protect its military, and its unwillingness to allow Palestinians in the hospitals to leave, Biden made this comment:
‘My hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals,’ Biden told reporters.
Then USaid had to get into the act, demanding actions by Israel:
The Usaid administrator, Samantha Power, stiffened the rhetoric further on Tuesday, saying: ‘Israel’s restoration of communications, electricity, water lines, and fuel to Gaza is imperative.
‘And even as Israel defends its people, it is imperative that the IDF adhere to international humanitarian law,’ Power told a meeting of an advisory board created to fund Israeli-Palestinian partnerships.
Power has no authority to demand anything from Israel; and Israel is already complying with international law, as I’ve said repeatedly.
Here’s another explanation by an administration official that Biden screwed up in his initial support of Israel, causing his handlers to step in:
‘With time, it became increasingly clear that Biden himself was the sole driver of that initial zero-sum approach and it took weeks of concerted high-level effort – from state, Usaid, the intelligence community and even part of the national security council itself – to turn things around and shape a more holistic, strategic approach that prioritised support to Israel alongside a far greater emphasis on civilian protection, humanitarian access, and commitment to international humanitarian law and the laws of war.’
* * * *
As if the Biden administration’s words and actions aren’t dangerous enough, our U.S. Senate has also decided to tell Israel how to run the war. They also demand compliance with international law, which Israel is already doing and which several people criticizing them ignore. Now the Senate is telling the Israelis they are killing too many people:
The stipulation is said to be merely that Israel follow international law. But since Israel does follow international law, and the U.S. already can withhold foreign assistance on human-rights grounds, the condition is unnecessary—but not harmless. During wartime, it would signal to Israel’s enemies that the U.S. has gone wobbly on the campaign to destroy Hamas.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.), chairman of the Foreign Relations subcommittee on the Middle East, made positive noises about the idea Sunday. ‘We regularly condition our aid to allies based upon compliance with U.S. law and international law,’ he said, adding, ‘I think that you can defeat Hamas without this level of civilian casualty,’ which he calls “unacceptable.’
Bernie Sanders was happy to jump on the bandwagon.
I cannot believe that these Senators, most of whom know nothing about warfare, never mind the type of war that is happening in Israel, are telling them they are certain that the Israelis can kill fewer people. And if they don’t shape up, U.S. aid will be in jeopardy. It’s clear to me that the Democrats have no idea how far they are out of their wheelhouse, that they are in agreement with Biden setting up the Israelis to lose this war, and that they want Hamas to be victorious. This approach to this war is a travesty. The WSJ posed the following question:
Published in GeneralThe purpose is to warn Israel that it will risk losing U.S. support if it tries to complete its mission of toppling Hamas; and that Hamas-induced civilian casualties mean Israel can’t destroy Hamas’s terrorist capabilities. Is that the emerging position of the Democratic Party?
It’s USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Too bad Israel didn’t bribe Biden. Or maybe, isn’t this the best evidence that Israel did not bribe Biden? Biden is, and was always, a nasty piece of work. His enduring loyalty is to himself. No words that he utters that involves something other than his enduring self-interest is enduring. And he is surrounded by Israel haters, so why would Israel expect any other outcome absent overwhelming political support that contains Biden and his team.
Even overwhelming political support wouldn’t likely do them much good for at least another year.
I took the spelling from the article. Sorry.
I think they know what’s coming, but are not sure what to do about it.
They will absolutely bail on Israel. The only real surprise was FJB’s initial remarks supporting Israel. I’m certain he got chastised by Obama for that. And he’s been a tool of the Left since the South Carolina primary.
There’s bailing and there’s bailing. No one really know what that means and what the repercussions will be.
I think we know which side Obama is on (hint Muslim Brotherhood), so it does not matter what, if anything, Biden thinks. We know somebody wants to use US tax dollars to buy weapons from American industry. I expect a lot of double speak and little bit of weapons money for Israel and matching amount of money for “Gaza aid”. Israel should act like they are in this fight alone.
The Senate is widely held to be the world’s greatest bloviative body, so I am rarely surprised by this kind of talk, but I will happily hold the IDF’s civilian/soldier casualty number up to almost any other as an example of best practices.
Also, the use of the term ‘unacceptable’ by someone who is in not in a position to accept or not accept something should be grounds for nose-punching.
I suspect his remarks had more to do with sounding presidential than anything else.
I’m disappointed. But not even a little surprised.
We are adrift, with no principles to anchor us
I think they had to make sounds like they were normal and human at first, even Kodos and Kang would do that. And that set the stage for humanitarian gestures.
Don’t forget Biden Admin foolish push to re-try Obama’s Iran policy.
Thanks for making me grin.
Israel and Ukraine may both see this….
U.S. Senator insists that a two-state solution is required:
https://thefederalist.com/2023/11/28/palestinians-dont-deserve-a-state-and-the-u-s-shouldnt-force-israel-to-create-one/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=palestinians-dont-deserve-a-state-and-the-u-s-shouldnt-force-israel-to-create-one&utm_term=2023-11-28
Yep–here it is: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/negotiators-press-to-extend-israel-hamas-truce-for-further-three-days-and-beyond-f0d372d1?mod=WTRN_pos2&cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_160&cx_artPos=1
Yes, just leave a little bit of the cancer in place. That will work out well.
When has Biden ever taken a position contrary to the middle/left of the Democrat party. He sold out on abortion, gay marriage, tough on crime policies, and more. The Democrat Party sees Israel as the oppressors and so it is just a matter of time before Biden gets in line.
My level of disgust with Biden as a president and as a man is enormous.
This is what I think . . .
Doesn’t “ending the war” mean Israel giving up and going
makeback to the situation before 10/7?Oh no. Now they have to agree to a two- state solution, which the Palestinians refuse.
Susan, nuance has never been my strong suit but I think it is becoming crystal clear that Biden and the entire crowd of anti-Semites surrounding him are on the side of the Hamas butchers and have little to no empathy about the horrendous losses the Israelis have sustained and the grotesque manner in which they were inflicted.
We are obviously on exactly the same wave length as this is what I included in one of my comments at my post Hamas Delenda Est: “Query: how do we have the right to tell a sovereign nation it cannot defend itself?”
Here are excerpts from a very short piece by John Hinderaker at Powerline which starkly lays out the true tragedy in store for Israel if the anti-Semitic administration now in power in Washington has its way and forces a total stop to the war which Hamas so barbarically started:
Finally, Michael Ramirez’ eerie cartoon of this morning:
What a dismal and frightening report from Hinderaker. And I fear he is accurate. And the Ramirez cartoon. Brilliant and horrible. Thanks for weighing in, Jim.
Susan, this will be a first for me as I never in my wildest imagination could I have ever thought I would be quoting – approvingly!- anything Charles Schumer had to say, but he has made a powerful speech in the Senate about the fear and abandonment the Jewish people are feeling in the present moment. It is here.
I prefer a three-state solution:
–Israel
–certain territories within the West Bank
–Gaza
The Palestinians do want a two-state solution. They just want those two states to be the West Bank, and Gaza.
Only not one of those parties would want that resolution, Dave.
Biden is showing exactly what he is, a spineless liar. This turn was presupposed. The amount of time he would last was the only variable. Fortunately, Israel has a very stiff spine and a good deal of righteous indignation. With or without Biden Israel will remain.
The pressures on Israel are going to be huge. They’ve caved in to pressure from the U.S. in the past; I pray that they will be resolute this time.