As protests and attempts to quell them spread from New York to Los Angeles and many states in between, President Joe Biden finds himself caught in a series of political and diplomatic crosscurrents without an easy solution.
Biden has to support Israel. It’s a centerpiece of us foreign policy for a reason; they want a friend in the region, and there is huge support from his constituents. It’s basically politically impossible to say no.
We don’t need Isreal as a strategic partner - we’re on good terms with the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and generally good terms with Turkey, Oman and Iraq - Isreal isn’t foundational to American security, America is foundational to Isreali security.
You say that, but americas actions paint a totally diffedifferent picture. They are joined at the hip with Israel and that isn’t going to change easily.
That isn’t for strategic reasons though… it’s because most Americans want a peaceful Isreal to exist (partially because the holocaust was awful, partially because we’ve got a large jewish population, partially because we like underdogs and partially because racism) and the fact that Isreal is inciting violence is just now reaching some people. I think public opinion is moving hard away from Isreal but, historically, most Americans supported giving them outrageous levels of aide.
Nobody needs a friend so badly that they’re justified in making friends with a genocidal maniac. I understand that Israel has been a long-term investment, but the amount of human suffering going on right now vastly outweighs any lamentations about sunk cost. What this country needs is a president willing to show that he cares about preventing suffering above all else. Doctors take an oath to both do good and do no harm - it’s time for our presidents to do the same, and be held to it to the same degree.
How is that easy?
Biden has to support Israel. It’s a centerpiece of us foreign policy for a reason; they want a friend in the region, and there is huge support from his constituents. It’s basically politically impossible to say no.
We don’t need Isreal as a strategic partner - we’re on good terms with the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and generally good terms with Turkey, Oman and Iraq - Isreal isn’t foundational to American security, America is foundational to Isreali security.
You say that, but americas actions paint a totally diffedifferent picture. They are joined at the hip with Israel and that isn’t going to change easily.
That isn’t for strategic reasons though… it’s because most Americans want a peaceful Isreal to exist (partially because the holocaust was awful, partially because we’ve got a large jewish population, partially because we like underdogs and partially because racism) and the fact that Isreal is inciting violence is just now reaching some people. I think public opinion is moving hard away from Isreal but, historically, most Americans supported giving them outrageous levels of aide.
Nobody needs a friend so badly that they’re justified in making friends with a genocidal maniac. I understand that Israel has been a long-term investment, but the amount of human suffering going on right now vastly outweighs any lamentations about sunk cost. What this country needs is a president willing to show that he cares about preventing suffering above all else. Doctors take an oath to both do good and do no harm - it’s time for our presidents to do the same, and be held to it to the same degree.