Biden and Netanyahu: It’s Time

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appears to have indicated—at least publicly--to President Biden and all senior officials in the Administration that he is intent on freeing the hostages and pursuing Hamas until they are eliminated. At the same time, it is becoming very evident that the U.S. Government will not support Israel’s current policy for more than perhaps a few more weeks. Netanyahu will need to finesse his shift in policy and military tactics, or America will no longer support Israel’s persistent attacks on Gaza and the continuing killing of Palestinian civilians.

The pressure on President Biden to modify his unflappable support of Israel in its war strategy is ending. Biden is facing increasing diplomatic, military, and political pressure to demand Israel move its war strategy to a significantly less aggressive—direct strikes at specific targets—modus operandi. The Administration in a not very subtle manner has been telling Bibi that he must address his own internal political fallout from a strategic shift by himself. Washington has argued that the current Israeli strategy, in the eyes of the U.S. as well Israeli allies worldwide, has run its course. The U.S. will no longer allow Netanyahu to use U.S. military assistance to justify aggressive tactics that have alienated many segments of the American people.

Netanyahu has lost his patina as the great “security” leader as he always was depicted. His personal legal problems together with his need to sustain the viability of the extremist right-wing Government over which he is presiding, have sapped all of his potential as genuine national leader. He is now merely a selfish, politically motivated Prime Minister struggling to stay in power.

The fate of the hostages seems to be rather secondary to Bibi’s push to remain Prime Minister. His failings as a national leader has occurred in the midst of this horrific time of crisis for Israel. Netanyahu has failed and continues to refuse to acknowledge that he bears the political responsibilities as Prime Minister for being inadequately prepared for the possibility of a Hamas attack. It was ultimately from his desk that the intelligence warnings from security officers in the South were dismissed.  It was the Government that he led which persisted in following his right-wing Ministers’ demands for an aggressive, repressive policy against Palestinians on the West Bank. Netanyahu yielded to their demands then and it appears that these same forces are behind Netanyahu’s commitment to pursue Hamas regardless of the cost in innocent Palestinians lives.

President Biden has presented Israel with a level of support unprecedent in its history. This unconditional backing is coming to an end. The President must adjust the focus of the American people away from the war so that he can fight the domestic spending battles with Congress in the beginning of the New Year.  

Except in the absolute midst of an American war, as was the case during the Viet-Nam War, foreign policy rarely is a critical issue for American voters in presidential elections.  It is incumbent upon President Biden to get this war off the front pages so he can define his re-election campaign on his domestic record.  He needs the American people to focus on his positive economic achievements; his commitment to increased healthcare benefits for all; his clear opposition to actions by the states following the Supreme Court’s opinion in the Dobbs case which seeks to further restrict abortions; and the need to creatively address the immigrant crisis including border security.

Assuming recent polls are correct and continue to show President Biden struggling in a re-election race against former President Trump, the Biden campaign has work to do to rebuild his 2020 coalition. Polling demonstrated that his strong support for Israel has weakened his backing among young people as well as people of color who were part of his base. If Biden succeeds in convincing the Israelis soon to reduce the intensity of the war, it should enable him to regain a significant portion of these voters. Perhaps what is most curious about these polls is that they suggest that a portion of these former Biden supporters might back a Trump re-election. (It is an historical fact that neither young voters nor Black voters have an especially high rate of turn-out.)

Israeli leaders are also sensing that many Jews in the Diaspora and especially some segments of American Jews are concerned that the growth of anti-Semitic incidents—especially on campuses—will not begin to be assuaged until the conflict in Gaza is significantly reduced. Israel will make its own decisions about its safety and security. Nevertheless, the Gaza war, the persistent skirmishes on West Bank, and, especially, the regular shelling exchanges with Hezbollah in the North on the Syrian and Lebanese borders will impact on how effectively Israel will modify its current strategies.