"It does not matter if Biden has previously acknowledged the attacks as terrorism — he does not believe Israel has a right to defend itself." Arynne Wexler: The Federalist.
She says, "The Biden administration is abandoning Israel."
Be informed, not misled.
Wexler says, "This is more than an attempt to play both sides of the conflict, and the suggestion that the White House is only softening in its support is wishful thinking. President Biden is turning up the public pressure for Israel to accept a ceasefire and abandon its goal of eradicating Hamas."
The Wall Street Journal said back on December 1, "Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also seemingly forgotten his visit to the massacred southern border towns, warning Israel that they are already running out of 'credit' in the war against Hamas.
The Journal reviews the war to that date, including the "pauses" then says:
But how should this next phase of the war be waged? Here, Mr. Blinken is adamant: It must be nothing like the operation in north Gaza. The Secretary of State said he “underscored” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the imperative to the United States that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement of the scale we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the south.” He said Israel must take “more effective steps to protect the lives of civilians.”
The best way to save civilians is to get them far from urban combat zones, away from Hamas strongholds like the city of Khan Younis. But Mr. Blinken demands “avoiding further significant displacement of civilians inside of Gaza.” Instead, he called on Israel to create “safe zones” for civilians near the fighting.
But what should Israel do when Hamas positions itself in those zones? That’s how it used hospitals and schools in the north. Could Israel attack Hamas in those sanctuaries?
Mr. Blinken tried to close that door, too. Protecting civilians “means avoiding damage to life-critical infrastructure like hospitals,” he said. “Intent matters, but so does the result.”
The WSJ notes, "If Israel must do more to protect civilians but can’t evacuate them and can’t hit Hamas when it hides in key civilian infrastructure and safe zones, how is it to fight at all? It could try a methodical, grinding campaign to force Hamas into the open. But Mr. Blinken demands Israel keep fuel flowing—precisely what Hamas needs to hunker down in its tunnels. That leaves relying on the infantry, at great cost in Israeli lives."
And, the Journal concludes: "Israel has a right to defend itself, which it reasonably believes requires destroying Hamas. The terrorist group rejoiced again on Thursday when two of its terrorists opened fire, during the truce, at Jewish civilians at a Jerusalem bus stop. Intent does matter, and blame for civilian deaths in Israel and Gaza resides with the terrorists."
"Israel deserves U.S. support as it topples Hamas, not a repeat of Mr. Biden’s Ukraine treatment: rules, restrictions, and hesitations that push a decisive victory further away. Israelis may find that victory requires calling the President’s bluff. Turning on Israel in wartime would alienate the much larger pool of pro-Israel American voters."
Arynne Wexler is right on this matter. Joe Biden is no friend to Israel, regardless of what he says.
Then there is this:
This administration is also playing favorites; recent statements have whitewashed the Palestinians’ international crimes and focused the microscope entirely on Israel. Blinken, on behalf of Biden, constantly emphasizes Israel’s need to “protect [Palestinian] civilians,” with no recognition that it is Israel that goes to greater lengths to protect Palestinian people than Palestine’s own ruling governments. Blinken highlights “extremist [Israeli] settler violence” on numerous occasions and calls for “holding perpetrators accountable” even though these incidents are one-off, rare, and condemned by most Israelis. Of course, he fails to call for the same from the Palestinians.
He fails to call for anything from the Palestinians.
Takeaway
Vice President Harris’ demand that “the Palestinian Authority must be revitalized” is the most recent installment of the Biden admin’s unsubtle orchestration to back Israel into a corner. This should come as no surprise — one of the Biden-Harris campaign promises was to restore aid to the Palestinian Authority.
Arynne notes, "There has never been peace without a victory, and there has never been a victory without war. Remembering the words of another Israeli wartime prime minister: 'It is better to be alive with a bad image than to be pitied and dead.'”
And she, a Jew herself, reminds us all that it was none other than Joe Biden who elicited the thunderous response from then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin to the U.S. Congress in 1982 during Israel’s First Lebanon War.
On June 22, 1982, Joe Biden, a Senator from Delaware, confronted then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee testimony, threatening to cut off aid to Israel.
Begin forcefully responded,
“Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid.”
Senator Biden reportedly banged on the table with his fist, and Begin responded:
“This desk is designed for writing, not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats. Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us.”
God says of Israel in Genesis 12:3, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Bold. Be Prayerful for the peace of Jerusalem.