The State Department says it will impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Wow… we’re … actually getting somewhere? I’ll take it.
I’m not surprised Biden was so resistant to changing his opinion on Israel, but it’s also very important that we don’t see Israel as some singular monolith any more than any other country. Which means we need to pick and choose which Israelis we support.
This is something we can potentially do though. Support liberal Israelis without supporting the Netanyahu faction, instead of just supporting them all evenly.
I’m not surprised Biden was so resistant to changing his opinion on Israel
Relevant:
It was apparent long before the 7 October Hamas terrorist attacks on southern Israel … that Netanyahu and Biden were barely on speaking terms. The usual White House invitation following last autumn’s election, which brought Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition to power, was withheld. … A principal reason was Biden’s disquiet over the extremist, anti-Palestinian policies espoused by the new government, notably in the occupied West Bank. Yet when Hamas attacked, Biden, being at heart a decent and honourable soul, set differences aside. His mistake, or perhaps his wilful self-deception, was to believe Netanyahu was a man of similar mettle … Yet this show of almost unconditional support was promptly interpreted by Netanyahu as carte blanche to do whatever he pleased in pursuing Hamas in Gaza. His main “achievement” to date, given that the terrorists remain undefeated, is an unprecedented slaughter of Palestinian civilians … Biden has slowly – far too slowly – adjusted his stance … Biden cannot continue to stand back or hide behind his officials. He must step in personally – and draw a line. What’s needed from the White House is less of the sympathetic uncle act, less of the soppy Joe, and more of the hard-headed pater familias and superpower commander-in-chief.
It’s more than supporting them all evenly. By supporting shielding Israel from the international community, the US indirectly supports the Israeli right wing, while the left wing theoretically doesn’t need to worry about international backlash.
Yeah and I appreciate this extra because going hard anti Israel leaves room for the antisemites at the table. Condemning the aggressors of both sides is how we stand with those seeking peaceful coexistence.
Wow… we’re … actually getting somewhere? I’ll take it.
I’m not surprised Biden was so resistant to changing his opinion on Israel, but it’s also very important that we don’t see Israel as some singular monolith any more than any other country. Which means we need to pick and choose which Israelis we support.
This is something we can potentially do though. Support liberal Israelis without supporting the Netanyahu faction, instead of just supporting them all evenly.
Relevant:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/06/biden-support-netanyahu-gaza-middle-east
It’s more than supporting them all evenly. By supporting shielding Israel from the international community, the US indirectly supports the Israeli right wing, while the left wing theoretically doesn’t need to worry about international backlash.
Yeah and I appreciate this extra because going hard anti Israel leaves room for the antisemites at the table. Condemning the aggressors of both sides is how we stand with those seeking peaceful coexistence.