Israel celebrates Biden for his resolute support & moral clarity - Republicans drop the ball
Nothing justifies the deliberate slaughter of children
Biden has a moral clarity and emotional honesty that Republicans cannot even fake. As Jews reel in the face of pure evil, Israelis thank him for his unequivocal backing. America, which is still Roosevelt’s “great arsenal of democracy” despite increasing Republican calls for Russian appeasement, stands absolutely with Israel because the Democratic President has left no room for doubt that it does.
An editorial in the Jerusalem Times (a right-center newspaper) reported it thus:
Biden’s three sets of White House remarks – first over the weekend, then a forceful statement on Tuesday expanded upon in remarks to American Jewish leaders on Wednesday – were effective for different reasons. They had an extraordinary and immediate impact inside Israel. A commentator on Israel’s right-wing Channel 14 apologized to Biden on-air for questioning his commitment to Israel in the past, saying this was the “moment of truth.” Huge billboards sprung up on Tel Aviv’s Ayalon Highway declaring “Thank you, Mr. President” and quoting from his speech. Public reaction, judging from Israeli TV and social media, ranged from grateful to ecstatic.
Haaretz (left-center) wrote in their editorial “Biden’s Words Must Serve as Israel's Moral Compass. Listen to Them”:
At this difficult time, it’s important to listen to Israel’s good and faithful friend, the United States. President Joe Biden left no room for interpretation about his country’s commitment to Israel. “In this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel,” he said. “And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack.”
These are important statements, and Israel, rightly, drew comfort and confidence from them. But Biden said more than that. After stressing that “Like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond – indeed has a duty to respond – to these vicious attacks,” he added that he had just spoken with Netanyahu, and “We also discussed how democracies like Israel and the United States are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law.” He then repeated this message to ensure that we would remember it, even as we are seeking to defend our lives: “Terrorists purposefully target civilians, kill them. We uphold the laws of war – the law of war. It matters. There’s a difference.”
Israeli’s PM, Bibi Netanyahu, politically in a different camp than Biden, thanked America’s President for his “unreserved support.”
It is fair to point out Israel’s territorial aggression and the many dead in in the ongoing wars in the Middle East. But there are no grounds which justify the deliberate killing of children. Anymore than 9/11 could be excused because America’s foreign policy has been self-interested.
I wish I could say that the GOP had been equally clear and direct in their response to the slaughter of the innocents. But I cannot. Trump reacted by slamming Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu for his supposed lack of action in the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani nearly three years ago. MAGA’s Dear Leader told the MAGA faithful:
“I’ll never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down. That was a very terrible thing.”
He also extolled the mental prowess of another group bent upon the destruction of Israel by calling the militant Lebanon-based Hezbollah “very smart.”
Trump also declared that had he been in charge, Hamas would have been cowering in their bunkers or something,
“Israel would be flourishing, they would have no problem.”
It takes chutzpah to blithely claim a quick and easy solution to events millennia in the making and a resolution to a conflict now 76 years old. The fatuous ass already had four years to work on the issue — with a predictable lack of achievement. His only contributions were moving an embassy and entrusting the problem to a slum lord.
MAGAs loved it. Israelis ignored it.
In the GOP Senate, Lindsey Graham was tumescent at the thought of bombing Iran — but could offer no practical solutions. While in the US House, the leaderless pack of rabid bigots, Christian nationalists, and theater gropers had nothing coherent to offer.
The GOP candidates were no better. As Netanyahu practiced unity by establishing a wartime cabinet with his chief political rival, Benny Gantz, the also-rans among the Republican presidential wannabes sniped at each other, the administration, and the left in general.
In one example, Vivek Ramaswamy (can someone buy the man a clue), claimed Nikki Haley was war profiteering. His exact words were, “I think that she is somebody that like many politicians in a position to get wealthier from war.” A claim so absurd even Sean Hannity thought it crossed the line.
Haley herself tweeted:
I don’t know how the Left justifies the beheadings.
I don’t know how the Left justifies 1,200 people dead.
I don’t know how the Left justifies the torture.
That’s between them and God.
I don’t understand it and I don’t want to understand it.
Her complete disregard for the truth makes Ramaswamy’s profiteering claim seem reasonable in the comparison.
Democrats did have some anti-Israel commentators. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) called for an end to U.S. aid to Israel, Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called to end "unconditional" military aid, and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said "this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue" unless the funds are cut off.
But they were the exception to the rule and widely condemned by their caucus. They certainly do not represent overwhelming Democratic sentiment on the subject. Most importantly, they do not affect Biden, the Democrats, and America’s continued support for the Middle East’s one democracy and America’s longest and most robust regional ally.
No country is perfect. Israel is no exception. And in the fullness of time, there will hopefully be some solution to the Jewish/Muslim, Israeli/Arab conflict that leaves all residents of the area with the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. It is what separates civilization from darkness.
But like 9/11 in the US, 7/7 in the UK, and the countless terrorist events in many countries, from the home-grown to the foreign, the targeting of civilians is never justifiable or excusable.
Hamas did not just kill Israelis delighting in a music festival and the other joys of being alive. It also condemned 1,000s of Palestinians to death. Hamas knew Israel had to retaliate to aggression, but they committed atrocities anyway.
There is only one way to beat evil. Good must unify. Biden knows this. Almost every Democrat knows this. And the Israelis are buoyed by their support. While everyone wonders what the hell is the matter with Republicans.