Biden’s Warning to Israel

Al-Ahram, Egypt, December 16

Rarely has an American president criticized Israel with such resolve and clarity as President Biden did last Tuesday. What sets his words apart is that he was not addressing Palestinians, Arabs, or those sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, which might have been seen as pandering or evasive. Instead, he delivered his remarks to donors of his presidential campaign, including many American Jews who staunchly support Israel. This deliberate choice shows that he wanted his words to be understood directly, without room for misinterpretation. During his speech, President Biden leveled strong criticism at Israel, echoing sentiments that have been heard worldwide since October 7, with only a shrinking number of exceptions among America and its allies. He expressed that Israel has lost the backing of the international community and pointed to its government as the most uncompromising in Israel’s history. He accused the government of outrightly rejecting the two-state solution and urged [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to work toward replacing it, as this stance is detrimental to America’s moral standing as an unwavering supporter of Israel. He contended that Netanyahu’s mistake is his belief in imposing extremist beliefs onto the global stage. Furthermore, he acknowledged the challenges Netanyahu faces in effecting change due to his government’s current predicament. President Biden attributed Israel’s declining global support to its indiscriminate bombing of defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip, a war crime under international law. Undoubtedly, Biden and his advisors recognized that this speech could be manipulated by Israel’s opponents, portraying it as evidence in their efforts to indict Israeli leaders as war criminals before international courts. Biden said that Israel faces an existential threat because of its policies, and stressed that it must, contrary to what it calls for and does, seek to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and establish a Palestinian state. Whatever Biden’s intentions are, his latest remarks should be supported, and work should be done to implement his message in practice. As for those who are skeptical about any American statements, asking why they should support them, they should remember: Accepting words that align with their own ideas and policies holds little downside. —Ahmed Abdel Tawab (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)