Politics | Israel
Was Biden Netanyahu’s Chum or Chump?
America has become complicit in a war not in its interests. An opportunity to turn onto a different road was missed
The choreography at Ben Gurion Airport was perfect. Biden descended the steps of Air Force One and fell into Netanyahu's waiting arms. The hug was tighter thanks to Arab leaders avoiding such a picture themselves with the American President; Israel was blamed for a bomb just dropped on a Gaza hospital (later evidence indicated otherwise). The big hug photograph may become as infamous as one from last century — Neville Chamberlain waving a piece of paper offering “Peace for our time” and “Get a nice quiet sleep.” Great Britain’s Prime Minister in 1938 naively thought he could avoid war; America’s President in 2023 naively fell into one.
Joe Biden promised Israel “America’s back” and “unwavering support” following the horrendous Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7th, 2023. Biden repeated his pledge and traveled to Israel, consummating his words with the physical embrace of Netanyahu for the world to witness. Netanyahu successfully got his big friend, America, to stand by while he executed his “mighty vengeance” on Hamas, a terrorist outfit deeply fixed inside Palestinian Gaza.
