From the beginning, the administration urged Israel to consider proportionality in its response to Hamas. Israel got wind and launched one of the most extensive bombing campaigns of the century against a population of about 2.2 million people, including by its own estimate about 30,000 Hamas militants. According to one estimate in January, more than half of buildings across Gaza were damaged or destroyed.
The U.S. administration has advised Israel against a large-scale ground invasion of Gaza, and instead takes a more narrowly targeted approach aimed at eliminating Hamas militants and infrastructure. The Israeli government held a number of lengthy meetings with U.S. officials before pressing ahead with a ground invasion.
The Biden team asked for a humanitarian pause, but only got one when they were able to ask the Qatari government to mediate a hostage exchange.
After the initial operation, American officials told Israeli authorities that what was done in northern Gaza could not be done in the south. But after urging people to move south to avoid danger, Israel began bombing in a manner Biden himself acknowledged was “indiscriminate.”
The United States has repeatedly pressured Israel to do more to protect innocent civilians, with little effect. The group is currently advising against the invasion of Rafah, a city near Egypt that is home to more than 1 million Palestinians. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to invade Rafah regardless of whether a new hostage deal takes place.
After the war, the US government warned that there should be no seizure of land in the Gaza Strip by Israel or a new Israeli occupation. The Israeli government’s plan is to do both.
As a result, American policy toward the Gaza war now appears unfortunate, ineffective, and immoral. It is grotesque to see US officials wringing their hands off civilian casualties while providing more and more weapons. The sight of the US president muttering words like “indiscriminate” and “overreach” to describe Israeli bombing suggests his weakness and passivity.
Part of the problem is that in trusting the Israeli government, Biden is trusting Netanyahu, a very smart politician who knows how to deftly deal with American presidents and has done so for decades. Thing. This time, Bibi outmaneuvered, outmaneuvered, and outperformed Biden.
But the problem goes beyond Bibi. Israel is in trauma. The October 7 attack shook the country to its core. The sense of security that Israel was supposed to provide its people has been shattered. As a result, it has tolerated policies that many Israelis deeply regret. As foreign policy expert Richard Haas has suggested, Biden, as a true friend of Israel, has the credibility to tell the truth directly to the public, perhaps in an address to the Israeli parliament.
Since the war began, 30,000 people have died in Gaza, the majority of them children. Approximately one in four people are at risk of hunger, and nearly all are dependent on food aid. As of the end of December, the water supply was 7% of the pre-war level. Most of the hospitals are no longer functional.
Nick Maynard, a visiting surgeon based in Oxford, explained the condition In one of the few partially functioning hospitals in Gaza, “What we saw were primarily children with the most severe injuries, many of whom would die.” We knew. And we couldn’t give them pain medication. Often there was no morphine. They didn’t have a place to die with dignity. In many cases, they literally ended up in the emergency room. He would be left lying on the floor in a corner to die.”
Israel says its goal is to completely destroy Hamas. It can also kill Hamas militants. You can eradicate that infrastructure. But Hamas cannot be destroyed. Because it’s really just the idea that armed resistance is the only way for Palestinians to gain their rights. To break this idea, we need something better. It is a way to show that nonviolent action and cooperation can lead to better lives for Palestinians and lasting security for both peoples.
Biden should show his love for Israel by going to Israel and telling these hard truths. He will also show America and the world that he still has the energy, moral clarity and wisdom to lead.