In defense of Joe Biden on Israel-Palestine
Joe Biden has maintained the U.S. alliance with Israel, while also brokering the beginnings of a peace deal. He remains unpopular as a president and as a candidate. But his work should be lauded.
The U.S. alliance with and support for Israel has remained unchallenged by every presidential administration in recent history. It’s no surprise that Joe Biden has maintained this alliance during the brutal war between Israel and Palestine, which is primarily targeting women and children. In the past two months, Israel has killed more women and children than Russia has Ukrainians in two years. The fighting has become egregiously lethal, marked by the relentlessness of Israel, but there is now some reason for hope. Hostages and prisoners have been exchanged and the “pause” between the two nations is lengthening, hopefully pointing to a lasting ceasefire. More aid is entering Gaza as well. I think Joe Biden deserves credit for this progress, but I also realize how deflating his rhetoric has been, and why it has cost him politically, even if the result is positive.
Biden has been vocally supportive of Israel, much to the chagrin of activists and allies, who are calling for an immediate ceasefire, given the slaughter of 15,000 Gazans. Biden’s refusal to acquiesce to the demands of these activists may have hurt him politically, and he was already in a precarious position for the 2024 presidential election. Biden was wrong to increase funding to Israel, wrong to question the death counts, and to spread false stories about atrocities in Gaza. So he deservedly lost political support.
But here’s the most important thing: Biden is trying to negotiate a peace deal. Behind closed doors, the President seems to be sympathetic toward Palestinians, admitting that he is disappointed in himself for having doubted the death counts, and has vowed to do better. I only wish that the President would have been as humble publicly as he was in this particular private meeting, though.
The president believes his friendly approach toward Israel will allow him to pressure Netanyahu into a ceasefire and ultimately a two-state solution. In his defense, Biden is dealing with an aggressive, far-right government in Tel Aviv, which is responding to the largest attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust. Both Netanyahu’s incorrigibility and Hamas’ brutality make compromise and nuance seem impossible. Did Biden act in a way that made sense politically? Sure. I can understand what he’s doing strategically, although Israel’s disproportionate brutality leaves us with big moral questions.
When Bernie Sanders suggested sending aid to Israel only under certain conditions, Biden, according to the Washington Post, said it was a “worthwhile thought,” but that it would have cost the US leverage with Netanyahu. He added, “I don’t think if I started off with [conditional aid] we ever would have gotten to where we are today.” Biden’s results speak for themselves—he helped negotiate an essential temporary ceasefire (Netanyahu has insisted that it’s temporary, and when it’s over, the bombings will continue). But with that progress made, it’s time to start working toward conditional aid and a lasting ceasefire. If he can accomplish that, peace will at least have a chance (and he might get re-elected). Palestinians shouldn’t be killed for the sins of Hamas, and Biden shouldn’t ask Americans to support an Israeli government that does so.
Biden’s own White House is divided on the issue. Despite pressure, the President continues to pursue his path, knowing that the U.S. is an essential agent in negotiating a deal. His sensible politics, though, are not popular among activists who want him to be more vocal about his support of Palestine and his condemnation of Israel’s brutality.
Activists like myself need to remember that after the October 7 attack, Biden was put in an impossible situation. He condemned the actions of Hamas, but he wasn’t in a position to condemn Israel’s counteroffensive without compromising the chance for a cease-fire. He did something few if any politicians have done, i.e. admitting his own mistakes and the nation’s. He went public saying that in response to the pain of 9/11, the U.S. made mistakes. He urged Netanyahu not “to be blinded by rage.” Biden does seem to be keeping his eyes on the prize of lasting peace. He clearly supports a two-state solution, and has stipulated that this cannot include Hamas. He supports Israel’s right to defend itself and to eliminate Hamas. For Netanyahu’s government, the only solution is endless brutal war, given that Hamas is categorically against a two-state solution.
As a Christian pacifist and a believer in Palestinian independence, do I believe Biden’s words and actions have been enough? Absolutely not. His inability to publicly ally with Palestine is frustrating to me and I wish it were different. I would be more supportive of the president if he were more openly supportive of innocent Palestinians. In the wake of the October 7 attack, though, I can understand why his hands were tied. I don’t envy his position, and I am not sure that a more vocal position would have produced the progress we’ve seen so far. Biden’s approach, even when I disagree with it, is one that clearly comes from his decades of experience in Washington. In that sense, his age is actually a boon, not a liability.
Biden may suffer politically because of his support for Israel and his posture toward making a lasting ceasefire and peace deal. But it is clear to me that Biden has done the work needed to get us where we are, that he does feel compassion for Palestine, and wants to actively work toward a lasting solution. People who are demonstrating from a sincere and righteous position may choose not to support him next fall, but frankly, I think they should think this over very carefully.