Joe Biden during his statement, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.Image REUTERS
The war between Israel and Hamas overtook American President Biden in the same way that fear can overtake a hiker who suddenly becomes aware of the darkness around him and starts shining his flashlight in all directions where danger may be hiding.
Hamas’s violence, which has also killed fourteen American citizens since Saturday, could have undesirable consequences for the American government both at home and abroad.
A further escalation in the region, through interference by Hezbollah or Iran, is the most far-reaching scenario for the American president, whose foreign priorities have so far not been in the Middle East, but in China and Ukraine. Biden repeated on Tuesday what he already said to CNN this weekend, that he warned “enemies of Israel” not to abuse this situation to their own advantage.
Over by author
Sterre Lindhout writes for de Volkskrant about North and South America. She also follows developments in the field of globalization and world trade. Previously she was Germany correspondent.
The status quo
The suffering of the Palestinian civilian population was not discussed. Biden previously said in a joint statement with the United Kingdom, France and Italy that he supports and recognizes ‘equal measures for justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians’.
“In its responses, the US acts as if the actions of Hamas are directly comparable to those of other radical Islamic movements in the region such as IS,” said Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group. “The methods used by Hamas are war crimes. But by portraying the enemy as terrorists, the US completely ignores the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the resistance against it.’
Until Saturday, the Biden administration seemed to be ruling around the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as best it could. The status quo of the alliance with Israel remained in place and the US spends around $3.8 billion annually on military support, including for the advanced Iron Dome air defense system.
Public secret
It is an open secret that Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken have little regard for the Israeli government’s ultra-nationalist policies and support for the settlers in the West Bank. The fact that Biden has never invited Netanyahu for a visit in the past three years, as is customary for an American president, is a sign of the times.
On paper, Biden, like almost all Democrats, favors a two-state solution. But he never acted on it. According to Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group, the president’s commitment to normal diplomatic relations between Israel and countries such as Saudi Arabia makes an indirect contribution to that goal, because those countries can also exert pressure on Israel.
A policy in which the US itself takes the lead in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in any case unthinkable under the current tense political relations in Washington.
Shutdown
Radical Republicans are already bending the narrative that Biden is indirectly responsible for the Hamas attack because he recently released $6 billion in frozen Iranian savings in exchange for American prisoners. Others see their opportunity and argue for an end to military aid to Ukraine because Israel is said to be a priority.
The government also hopes that the Republicans in the House of Representatives will agree on a new chairman on Wednesday. Otherwise, there will be another government shutdown in three weeks’ time and support for Israel will also be at risk.
In his statement, the president called on Americans to unite, to stand together behind Israel. But the longer and more intense the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, the more likely critics from the left wing of the Democratic party will raise their voices to point out the Palestinian suffering. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman said on Tuesday that they believe the government should push for a ceasefire.
2023-10-10 19:50:18
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