Biden holds Netanyahu hostage

Biden holds Netanyahu hostage

Biden’s passivity in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

It is very clear that Biden is under personal and political considerations in dealing with the Gaza crisis, many analysts and political experts believe that only one leader can stop the ruthless massacre in Gaza, only one person can start the process of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that he himself had announced to the world, the President of the United States.

But Biden seems hesitant, he allows Netanyahu to play with him and make fun of him, allowing the Israeli Prime Minister to undermine America’s credibility and interests in the region and around the world.

By limiting himself to mild verbal opposition, he does not take any specific action to prevent the destruction of the independent Palestinian government formation project by Netanyahu, nor does he plan to attack Rafah, meaning the most powerful and advanced army in the region and among the first in the world, attacking a city of tents with one million three hundred thousand displaced people suffering from severe food shortages, hunger, and misery.

The prevailing global public opinion increasingly isolates Israel, and if they have forgotten the horrific massacre by Hamas on October 7, it is because Israel has also committed atrocious acts in Gaza over the past few months, which are no less than what Hamas has done. Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats, who happens to be a New York Jew, has urged Israelis to vote and remove Netanyahu along with his extremist government.

Biden, on the other hand, mutters under his breath, and it seems that one is taking a policy of kicking the can down the road while the other is adopting a wait-and-see approach. On one hand, he sends humanitarian aid to Palestinians, and on the other hand, he plans to supply weapons to Israelis, which is actually because of these weapons sent that Palestinians need humanitarian aid.

The reason for Biden’s hesitation

There are two reasons for Biden’s hesitation and indecisiveness. One of them is personal, and the other reason is electoral. Aaron Miller, an American negotiator in the peace process in the 1990s, writes that no other president has repeatedly described themselves as a Zionist. None of the residents of the White House have said that if Israel did not exist, it would have to be invented.

Golda Meir, an Israeli politician who served as Prime Minister from 1969 to 1974, was the first and only female head of government in the Middle East until 1993, when Tansu Ciller in Turkey became Prime Minister. Since then, Joe Biden has met with all Prime Ministers. He has been in love with Israel and its heroic narrative since the beginning of his career as a senator in 1973.

Over time, many have lost this charm and Israel’s appeal has faded for many. But Joe Biden, not when relations between Barack Obama and Netanyahu were strained, continued his efforts for reconciliation as Vice President. Although shortly after his trip to Israel, he had reported the expansion of some Jewish settlements.

The second reason is electoral. In the Democratic primaries in Michigan, a key state for winning the presidency, Arab-origin voters abstained. However, they cannot compete in terms of resources and presence in many large states with Jewish communities. According to the latest Pew Research Center poll in Washington, 62% support Biden and 21% support Donald Trump. Among minorities, only African American Protestants support and agree with Biden.

Historically, the Jewish vote is democratic because they lean towards liberals on civil rights, abortion, racial issues, and minority rights. However, regardless of who governs Israel, there is a deep connection, which Biden is involved in and does not want to undermine.

The decline in popularity among American Muslims, especially young people in universities, is serious. Biden must take action and make decisions, but their votes will never go to Donald Trump. Nevertheless, if Israel becomes isolated, the Jewish community may change its opinion. Trump, in his own traditional rhetoric, stated that Jews who vote for Democrats are disgusted with their religion and Israel, and they should be ashamed.

Almost every day, Joe Biden openly states the fact that many innocent people are suffering and dying. This massacre must stop. Time passes, but unlike other former US presidents, he takes no action to curb Israel’s dangerous ambitions. The Eisenhower administration in 1956, Ronald Reagan in 1982 in Lebanon, and George H. W. Bush in 1992 in the occupied territories all took steps to curb Israel’s ambitions.

Just one vote apart from the veto power in the United Nations Security Council or suspending military aid to the Netanyahu government can make a difference and stop the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.