Remember a few years ago when Joe Biden was vice president and visited Israel? In a deliberate move to embarrass him, a right-wing minister chose that exact moment to announce 1,600 new housing units for Jews in Palestinian East Jerusalem.
Well, even in their darkest moment, when US support is more important than ever, they're still at it:
Considering everything else Israel's leaders have done over the past year—and the past 20 years—I suppose this is small potatoes. You can just add it to the bonfire of insults and provocations that explain why, after 40 years of defending Israel at all costs, Biden has truly and finally had enough:
Given that you are 100% correct in evaluating what is "small potatoes," why would this matter?
Two minor quibbles: First, Netanyahu can't stop insulting Americans. Second, Netanyahu can't stop insulting Americans who are Democrats.
I think that's a little more focused.
One of Bibi's many disservices to Israel's long-term national interests has been his aligning Israel with the GOP. It helped turn what used to be a pretty non-partisan issue in the US (support of Israel) into an increasingly partisan one, and contributed to the situation where elements of the Left now loathe Israel (just look at the other comments on this site).
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elements of the Left now loathe Israel
For good and valid reasons.
Here's hoping partisan support doesn't go as badly as it has for Ukraine.
Netanyahu might have been staring too long into the abyss.
Yet another Israeli seizure of Palestinian land. I wonder why the Palestinians have this thing against Israel.
I wonder what the Palestinians did to force Israel to seize more of their territory this time.
Good one!
Snowba - er, Hamas! Or maybe Macavity.
Interesting article, but it terms of its significance, I think the final sentence sums it up" “The president has been more outspoken and more publicly critical of the actions of the Netanyahu government. The president has repeatedly asked the Israelis to open up more. But the real question is, at what point is the Biden administration willing to back up that request with accountability?”"
Until something is done that is more than just talk or performative action it remains a moral failure and a complicity in war crimes.
It's just kabuki. If this weren't an election year Biden would just let the bombing of Gaza slide.
Hard to say, in my opinion.
Israel is -- among honest people of goodwill -- pretty clearly in the wrong in its collective punishment and genocide. But Biden is apparently a true believer in Israeli propaganda, and the Israel lobby has A LOT of influence in the Democratic Party.
Impending election being off the table, would Biden's moral sense or his romantic notions about Israel hold sway?
And do election year concerns mean more power to people sympathetic to Gazans, or to the Israel lobby? And which would remember actions in a non-election year longer?
Hard to say, but I think I disagree with you: the election probably pushes Biden more toward Israel than away. This mainly because the Israel lobby is profoundly concerned with immediate results, so if you "wronged" them a year ago, they don't hold a grudge if you can help them now.
For people sympathetic to Gaza, letting the genocide proceed means that you are a morally compromised person, and the passage of a year of time is unlikely to change that.
A significant number of the demo dumb coalition are the Americans of the Jewish confession. They have tended to contribute significant funding. If the polls are correct, Biden can't afford to piss off any members of the coalition. I think that was the source of Biden's initial reaction to the Hamas idiocy.
That's stupid. No he wouldn't. He's not Trump.
It's what Israel does best to win friends and influence people; being a total bastard. Works with enemies, why not with friends? Down this road is another Diaspora. Won't that be interesting...while it's true none of the surrounding states want the dispossessed Palestinians, how much will the world want to take Israelis...who were given a country and did everything they could to lose it? I hope that these are God's Chosen people, because for sure nobody else will want them around...and no that's not antisemitic, simply an observation of reality.
1+
The Israelis seem broadly to be certain that God is on their side: 20 million Jews v. 400 million Arabs or 2 billion Muslims --.seems like a "Jewish state" ought to try to make a lasting peace with its Arab and Muslim neighbors as fast as it can, but Israel has done the opposite.
And really it's not that God was on their side, but rather that the British Empire and then the United States were.
2+
I’m done. Biden should immediately recognize Palestinian statehood with 1948 borders, and give Israel a very brief period to evacuate its citizens before our recognition is enforced militarily.
Though I do find it odd that Kevin frames this as “insulting Americans” rather than “stealing from Palestinians…and slaughtering them if they resist”.
You're right on both counts, and Kevin's framing is, sadly, very American. Americans care less about Palestinians than they do about the East Palestinians (of the big derailment a year ago).
I've been following Josh Marshall's commentary on TPM-- he points out the nuances in the admin's position. Above all, they want to avoid a general MidEast war. If we cut off Israel, will Hezbollah et al. see that Israel is weak, and pounce? Will Israel anticipate their own future weakness, and attack while they are still strong (with precedent)? Biden is walking a tightrope, and while all right-thinkers (as opposed to Right thinkers) want to help the Gazans and prevent a genocide, there are other considerations. It's never as simple as a bumper-sticker, alas.
Good point.
I don't know if the strategy of keeping Israel armed to the teeth while they eradicate an adversary that doesn't really pose a serious threat to them, though, is going to avoid a broader war based on Israel's vulnerability: seems like whatever we give them is going to be wasted on Gaza anyway, so they'll still be weak and we'll be more deeply in bed with them.
+1
I agree that Biden is walking a tightrope but stopping financial aid and arms would be a great start.
Hamas was losing popular support and Netanyahu was facing jail time. So Hama attacks and Israel responds--a win win situation, except for the people on both sides.
The US reserves the right to use force and even invade other countries if attacked by terrorists, so has to support other countries responding to attacks. Bush's legacy. But without real plans to secure the "win", you lose long term. Also Bush's legacy.
Biden was pushing Netanyahu to not make the same mistakes we have. Netanyahu sees this as a way to push all the Palestinians out--and at least keep tensions high so he can stay in power.
Prevent a genocide? As if it isn't ongoing, and hasn't already happened.
In general, I think the opinions of Josh Marshall are way overrated. They amount to little more than rationalizations for existing conventional "wisdom".
Doesn't Israel have a "Samson Strategy" in the event it's massively attacked? You know, just like Dr Strangelove? Where they shoot off ALL their nukes and bring down the entire middle east? (and days after, thanks to fallout, the world?)
In a between-human interaction, it is inevitable that one interest will benefit at another interest's expense. What is not inevitable is what interest is benefiting at what interest's expense.
The foundational principle of every major religion, democracy, science, and Adam Smith's "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" (aka capitalism) implies that we must all share equitably in the benefits and the detriments.
Those who believe that are those who express that belief in their words and actions. They are trying to solve the problem, and those who's words and actions conflict with that sentiment are the problem.
It is that simple. From there it either gets complicated and hopeful, or complicated and hopeless.
And the bad guys think the good guys are the bad guys.
"Same as it ever was." - Talking Heads
"In a between-human interaction, it is inevitable that one interest will benefit at another interest's expense.:
Clearly, you have never heard of Win-Win. It's definitely possible, and it's the smart way to work out disputes and problems. Of course, Zionism is a 19th century concept which precedes modern means of thought, and goes by "Winner take all; losers all die".
It seems like Biden has given up on Netanyahu, but I expect he'd be back to being all-in with Israel if Bibi were replaced.
And he'd act as if the genocide was all Bibi's doing, ignoring the overwhelming popular support for the genocide in Israel.
Israel, even if it ever did have redeeming qualities, is now essentially an ethno-religio fascist state. There is no longer a socialist Labor Party seriously contending for power and subscribing to broad notions of human rights; instead it's mostly religious fanatics vying with secular fascists, with the occasional progressive shouting out their concern and being ignored.
Is it an insult to Americans if Americans don't care? It seems more like an insult from America to Palestinians that we let it slide.
The ongoing war in Gaza is terrible and if I could stop it, I would. But I cannot so it seems to me that this continued violence serves two worthy goals.
1. People shun Israelis and their sympathizers. Given how many awful regimes and societies there are in the world, this has a limited shelf life.
2. The Palestinians are further persecuted and dispersed since, after all, they are the ones who murdered 1000+ people on 10/7.
Neither has any redeeming value left and so it’s good that all are forced to endure the hell they’ve created for themselves. It would be better if they weren’t all hateful religious fanatics, but no one can change them. I’m disappointed that the Palestinians aren’t putting up more of a fight. It’s like they wanted to have Gaza made uninhabitable or something.
Oh well, I guess they taught some crazy people in Russia a few lessons on terrorism. Yikes. Russia really deserves it, though. It’s a rough world out there.
The United states, and President Biden, are in a no win situation here.
So, why not propose Israel be thrown out of the United Nations? They are NOT part of the current security council so by throwing them out they NEVER become a security council member. Ratchet that up with a cut in aid to Israel with future cuts to take effect so long as Israel continues the Gaza war?
It allows for the UN to take the heat off of the US, and allows the US to continue to support Israel albeit on a progressively worse scale
Even if Israel is NOT thrown out the optics of even a vote would be bad for Israel
Israel cannot stop providing Palestinians justification for violent resistance to the colonization of the Palestinian nation.
Biden has truly had enough?
1. If so, he has delayed too long. Right now, his very limited moves in that direction look like the political calculation that it is.
2. Biden is a self-confessed Zionist (quite unlike Obama). I doubt whether, as such, he has had enough.
3. You would think that, with Biden's (supposed) political skills, he would have been able to triangulate between the concerns of Jewish Americans and legitimate concerns for the immense sufferings of Gazan civilians. He did not, and it is probably too late for that.