What is wrong with Israel, or what it does not tell us about the U.S. military actions? Commentary on a statement by Biden in Yedioth
President Biden spoke from the Oval Office on Thursday regarding the wars between Israel and Hamas, and Ukraine and Russia. The transcript is from The New York Times.
“Justice must be done,” the president said while in Israel. “But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it. After 9/11 we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.”
One of Israel’s most respected commentators, Nahum Barnea, underscored his concern. The United States will not abandon Israel, but won’t allow it to do what it likes according to Mr. Biden in Yedioth. Israel doesn’t let the U.S. know about its military plans, according to the rules of the game.
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President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to permit humanitarian aid from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. At most 20 trucks will enter Gaza in the coming days, and the U.N. will distribute the aid. Biden warned aid would stop if any of it goes to Hamas.
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In the wake of a visit by President Biden, Israelis on Thursday praised his courage in coming at a time of war and for his full-throated support, as he pledged “we will not let you ever be alone” after attacks from Hamas killed at least 1,400 Israelis.
This degree of consultation is rare, if not unprecedented, even in a relationship this close, Israeli analysts said. It carries risks if it has benefits for Mr. Netanyahu. It may give him cover for an extended war, but it may also affect the way he conducts it.
Satellite images showed hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles north of Gaza, ready to be used by thousands of soldiers into the enclave.
Israeli President Ariel Sharon: The Rise and Fall of the United States in the Crossing of the Iraq-Israel War, and Israel’s Implications for the Middle East
“The late Ariel Sharon was in the habit of saying, ‘We will defend ourselves, by ourselves,’” wrote Nadav Eyal, an Israeli analyst, in the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. Netanyahu has been projecting these values in the last few days. He seems to yearn to be the United States’ 51st state. This is symbolic as well as practical.
The critics were even more critical of the government in the past. Nechama Duek, writing in Israel Hayom, said that Mr. Biden has spoken softly and empathically, “but with his words, he has bound and shackled Netanyahu and his government.”
Biden will deliver a prime-time televised speech at 8 p.m. Eastern time Thursday from the Oval Office, where he’s expected to outline the gravity of the situation in the Middle East and make a direct appeal to the public for continued aid to both Israel and Ukraine.
The Oval Office backdrop is indicative of the seriousness that Biden places on national security matters. The speech is only the second time he has spoken to the nation from behind the Resolute Desk; the first was in June, after the debt ceiling crisis was averted.
Biden said that his administration had been in touch with the leadership from the start of the attack and that they would make sure they had everything they needed to defend their nation.
He was worried that the Congress would undermine his promise to back Ukraine in the war against Russia. In its most recent government funding bill, Congress failed to include $24 billion to keep military and economic aid flowing to Ukraine until the end of the year.
He said in a recent interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes that the US is the most powerful nation in the history of the world.
This has been the moment Mr. Biden has trained for his whole political career, a point he often makes when challenged about his age. He has been to two countries in the midst of active wars in the past eight months. American troops have been kept out of both conflicts, because he married his public embraces with private cautions. He seems determined to prove that for all the critiques that the United States is a divided, declining power, it remains the only nation that can mold events in a world of unpredictable mayhem.
Michael Beschloss, a historian and author of “Presidents of War,” said that when a president is in their sweet spot, they usually see and hear it.
The backdrop of Mr. Biden’s Oval Office address on Thursday night is very uncertain as to whether he will be able to bring the American population along. If the past 18 months are any guide, he will talk of America’s role to support democracy over autocracy, to restore a global order that is fast unraveling, and make the case that there is no higher cause than protecting free people from invasion and terrorism.
I know these conflicts can seem far away, and it’s natural to ask: Why does this matter to America? So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America’s national security.
The visit was high-stakes to show the limits and capability of the U.S. influence in the region, as well as the importance of America’s relationship with Israel.
Analysts say it is inevitable that the administration ties itself to whatever comes next, including further bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, and possibly a war with Israel’s Arab neighbors. So far, more than 3,400 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The visit almost didn’t happen. Biden’s team weighed in on whether or not to even bother with it. Secretary of State Antony Blinken laid the groundwork in a whirlwind visit to the Middle East last week that that included seven hours of talks with Netanyahu and his war cabinet.
The trip served to reassure Israel that Biden “prioritizes the need for the U.S. to actually engage in this question, rather than step back from it,” says Brian Katulis, vice president of policy at the Middle East Institute.
That message of engagement was also directed at the rest of the Middle East and specifically at Iran, which supports Hezbollah, according to Katulis.
His warnings were reinforced by Biden’s visit and the U.S. carrier task groups deployment to the eastern Mediterranean.
Itamar Rabinovich, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., says that the main threat right now is Iran and their proxy in Lebanon.
He says Biden and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “were very clear in warning Iran and Hezbollah, and this was a major contribution by the Biden administration to consolidating the status quo.”
But a planned meeting between Biden and regional leaders fell apart after a catastrophic explosion at a hospital in Gaza killed hundreds of Palestinians just hours before the president landed in Israel.
“I don’t think the door is shut between the Biden administration and the key Arab countries just because of the cancellation of the meeting in Amman,” Katulis says.
Katulis says “there’s genuine concern” among U.S. officials about civilian casualties and “how that can negatively impact the mission itself and achieving the desired goals that Israel has stated.”
The US is doing everything it can to find the American hostages and get them released, according to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Hamas has also hinted that it might be open to releasing non-Israelis.
President Biden spoke to the families of some of the hostages, and I think there is some hope that this will lead to an end to this. But he calls the fate of those American captives “a big open question.”
We’re facing an inflection point in history. Today’s decisions will determine the future for decades to come. That is something I would like to discuss with you tonight.
Now earlier this morning I returned from Israel. They tell me I’m the first American president to travel there during a war. I met with several Israelis who had also lived through the attack on the 7th of October, and I was so moved that I met with them as well. More than 1,300 people slaughtered in Israel, including at least 32 American citizens. A bunch of innocents, from infants to the elderly, Israelis and Americans were taken hostage. We are trying all we can to bring Americans home after being held captive by Hamas. As president, my top priority is the protection of Americans held hostage.
The terrorist group Hamas unleashed pure unadulterated evil in the world, but sadly, the Jewish people know, perhaps better than anyone, that there is no limit to the depravity of people when they want to inflict pain on others.
President Netanyahu and I discussed yesterday the critical need for Israel to operate according to the laws of war. That means protecting civilians in combat as best as they can. The people of Gaza urgently need food, water and medicine.
You know, the assault on Israel echoes nearly 20 months of war, tragedy and brutality inflicted on the people of Ukraine, people that were very badly hurt since Putin launched his all-out invasion.
We’ve not forgotten the mass graves, the bodies found bearing signs of torture, rape used as a weapon by the Russians, and thousands and thousands of Ukrainian children forcibly taken into Russia, stolen from their parents.
Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common. They want to destroy a neighboring democracy. Hamas states that it is to destroy the state of Israel and to kill Jewish people. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Hamas uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, and innocent Palestinian families are suffering greatly because of them.
Meanwhile, Putin denies Ukraine has, or ever had, real statehood. He thinks the Soviet Union createdUkraine. And just two weeks ago, he told the world that if the United States and our allies withdraw — and if the United States withdraws, our allies will as well — military support for Ukraine would have, quote, a week left to live.
What Will We Do If We Don’t Give Up? — Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars: A Primer for the War on Syria
History has taught us that when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression and terror, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They are going on. Threats to America and the world continue to rise.
These are all NATO allies. For 75 years, NATO has kept peace in Europe. The cornerstone of American security has been. And if Putin attacks a NATO ally, we will defend every inch of NATO, which a treaty requires and calls for.
We will have something that we do not want. We do not want to have American troops fighting in Russia or fighting against Russia.
Beyond Europe, we know that our allies, and maybe most importantly our adversaries and competitors, are watching. They are watching the response to our situation in Ukraine. And if we walk away and let Putin erase Ukraine’s independence, would-be aggressors around the world would be emboldened to try the same. In the Middle East and the Pacific, there could be conflict and chaos, as well as other parts of the world. Iran supports Russia in the region, while it also supports Hamas and other terrorist groups. I might say that we will continue to hold them accountable.
Biden’s Speech on Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars: Is Islamophobia a Threat to the Middle East?
The United States and our partners across the region are working to build a better future for the Middle East. One where the Middle East is more stable, better connected to its neighbors, and through innovative projects like the India, Middle East and Europe rail corridor that I announced this year at the summit of the world’s biggest economies, more predictable markets, more employment, less rage, less grievances, less war when connected. It benefits the people. It would benefit the people of the Middle East, and it would benefit us.
The world is held together by American leadership. American alliances keep us safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. It isn’t worth it to put the whole situation at risk, if we turn our backs on Israel.
Tomorrow I will send an urgent budget request to congress to fund America’s national security needs, to support our partners including Israel and Ukraine. It is a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for generations, it will help us keep our troops out of harm’s way, and it will help build a world that is safer for our children and grandchildren.
You know, and here at home we have to be honest with ourselves. In recent years, too much hate has given too much oxygen, fueling racism, a rise in antisemitism, Islamic-phobia, right here in America.
We can’t stand by and stand silent when this happens. We must without equivocation denounce antisemitism. We must also make a statement about Islamophobia.
Source: Full Transcript: Biden’s Speech on Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars
America: You are the America. We are a Great Nation, and Israel-Hamas are the main culprits of Russia-Ukraine Wars
I want you to know I’m there for you and all the others that are hurting. You belong. And I want to say this to you: You’re all America. You’re all America.
This is in a moment where — you know, in moments like these, when fear and suspicion, anger and rage run hard — that we have to work harder than ever to hold on to the values that make us who we are. We’re a nation of religious freedom, freedom of expression. We all have a right to debate and disagree, without fear of being targeted in schools or workplaces or in our communities.
Let’s not forget who we are in America. We reject all forms, all forms of hate, whether against Muslims, Jews, or anyone. Great nations do that. We are a great nation.
Source: Full Transcript: Biden’s Speech on Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine Wars
The American Dream of Kyiv. The First American to enter a war zone without the control of the military. And what have we learned about the invasion of Ukraine
They are doing well. When Putin invaded Ukraine, he thought he’d take everything in a short period of time. Well over a year later, Putin has failed, and he continues to fail.
Kyiv still stands because the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Almost half of the territory Russian troops were in was regained by the Ukrainians. Backed by the U.S.-led coalition of countries around the world, they are doing their part to support Kyiv.
I said I would not allow American troops to fight in Ukraine. Ukrainians are requesting help for the weapons, the capacities and the ability to push Russian forces off their land. The air defense systems will shoot down Russian missiles.
We have equipment sitting in our stockpiles. We use the money that Congress gives us to replenish our stores, and new equipment, when we need it. Equipment that protects America is made in America. There are missiles for air defense batteries in Arizona. The shells were manufactured in 12 states across the country. And so much more.
Earlier this year, I boarded Air Force One for a secret flight to Poland. I boarded a train with dark windows and was taking a 10-hour ride to stand with the people of Ukraine who were against Putin a year ago. I’m told I was the first American to enter a war zone without the control of the military in the US.
A few advisers and a small group of security personnel with me. I didn’t feel alone when I met Zelensky after exiting that train. I was bringing with me the idea of America, the promise of America, to the people who are today fighting for the same things we fought for 250 years ago: freedom, independence, self-determination. As I walked through Kyiv with Zelensky, I felt that America is a beacon to the world, still, still.
People all over the world hope because of us. Who believe in a better life because of us. Who are desperate not to be forgotten by us. And who are waiting for us.
I know we have our divisions at home. We need to get past them. We have to keep our politics from getting in the way of our responsibilities. We cannot and will not let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win. I refuse to let that happen.
In moments like these, we have to remind — we have to remember who we are. America is the United States of America. The United States of America. And there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity, if we do it together.