Comments from the US State Department and Vice President Kamala Harris have consequences and Israelis say comments typically favor Israel’s enemies.
Dwight Widaman, Editor
In addition, Israelis across the political spectrum are concerned about President Joe Biden’s display of physical and mental weakness. Analysts in Israeli publications wrote that the display may embolden Iran at a time when Israel already is facing severe threats and violence from Iranian proxies and terror groups. Amnon Lord, a columnist at the conservative Israeli outlet Israel Hayom, wrote a piece titled, “Biden’s decline gives Middle East’s axis of evil a golden opportunity against America — and Israel.”
“The president is functioning at a subpar level, while an extreme progressive group, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, is driving U.S. foreign policy,” Lord wrote. “None of the issues concerning American citizens and those of other nations, such as Israel and Ukraine, are being adequately addressed or resolved. In a world rife with aggressive forces, the unflattering image of an American president — the leader of the free world ––appearing weak and incoherent encourages them to exploit opportunities.”
Amos Harel, military correspondent and defense analyst for the liberal Israeli outlet Haaretz, published an analysis piece titled: “Biden’s Presidential Debate Fiasco May Tempt U.S. Foes in the Mideast to Test His Resolve.” Harel wrote that Biden’s “fatigued, occasionally confused” debate appearance “could herald a strategic global turning point.”
Harel said the increased likelihood of former President Donald Trump winning reelection could make Hamas less likely to strike a deal for hostages. He went on to write that Biden’s electoral weakness could distract the White House from Middle East instability.
VP Kamala Harris. Photo: Gage Skidmore-Wikicommons.
Earlier this week, leaders of the anti-Israel Uncommitted movement said Harris had “expressed an openness” to meeting with them to discuss an arms embargo against Israel. The comment set off a flurry of denials and accusations within the Harris campaign as it worked to woo Muslim voters while also doing damage control with Jewish voters.
With President Biden virtually absent from all public appearances, it fell to administration official Phil Gordon to deny the report, saying Harris “will continue to work to protect civilians in Gaza and to uphold international humanitarian law.”
Harris on Wednesday appeared before the nation’s largest Muslim community in Michigan. Leaders of the Uncommitted movement told her the US needed to stop all shipments of arms to Israel.
“We want to support you, Vice-President Harris, and our voters need to see you turn a new page on Gaza policy that includes embracing an arms embargo,” Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of Uncommitted, said he told the Democratic nominee.
Those conversations are concerning to many, who acknowledge that Israel is the only reliable ally in the Middle East. The State Department continues to warn Israel of “escalating” tensions when it is reality responding to attacks on seven fronts. When Iran attacked Israel with missiles in April, the Biden administration warned Israel of “escalating” the war. The administration does not use that language in warning the actions of Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, Yemen, Iran or the Palestinian Authority as their attacks on Israel continue.
Haaretz’s Harel outlined the view of the Biden administration.
“When every vote in this election becomes even more critical, will Biden listen to criticism from his party’s left wing and make Israel show more restraint in its operations in Gaza?” he wrote. “Will Hezbollah and Iran assess that Biden is too busy now to back Israel in case all-out war breaks out in Lebanon this summer?”
Israel is waging war against the Iran-linked terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip while facing the threat of significant escalation with another Iranian-linked terror group, Hezbollah, to its north. The appearance of U.S. weakness or distraction could cause Iranian leaders to believe that it has an opportunity now to pressure or defeat Israel.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice