President Joe Biden is quietly but surely shifting strategy on the Israel-Hamas war amid looming threats from activist groups and voters ahead of the 2024 election.
For the first time since the war began on October 7, the United States failed to veto the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). solution He called for an “immediate” six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on the condition that the hostages in Gaza be released. The Biden administration’s decision came after pressure from his constituents, protests by protesters and unrest at the White House. (Related: ‘When Will They Learn?’: Biden Administration Greenlights $10 Billion Access to Iran: Report)
The Biden administration supported Israeli countermeasures in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 civilians. Initial calls for a ceasefire by pro-Palestinian advocates were met with rejection by the government, which expressed concern it would only allow Hamas to regain power.
“The fact is, it seems to me that Israel needs to continue to make sure that it has what it needs to protect itself as it responds to these attacks,” Biden said. Said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 18th. “And we’re going to make sure that happens.”
We will never fail to support Israel. pic.twitter.com/3JM8d665iJ
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 8, 2023
“A ceasefire would allow Hamas to rest, rearm, and prepare to continue its terrorist attacks against Israel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Said Reporters at a press conference on October 23rd.
But under pressure from activist groups, protesters and Biden’s own voting base, Biden began to change course. The Biden administration allowed the Security Council to pass the ceasefire resolution on Monday, despite having previously vetoed three similar resolutions.
“We have come to the conclusion that this Security Council resolution … calls for two things that we support: a ceasefire and the joint release of hostages,” Miller said. Said “That’s why we abstained on the resolution. We believe it is important and should be implemented.”
“I remember shortly after the war that even though President Biden overwhelmingly supported Israel at the time, once Israel began to fight back after the October 7 atrocities, he became an extreme pro-Hamas and anti-Israel stronghold. “I expected it to succumb,” Mark said. Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a defense think tank based in Washington, D.C., told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are fighting an enemy whose entire strategy hinges on maximizing the death toll of Palestinians and Israeli civilians in one of the most dangerous and complex urban environments in the history of warfare. ”
“Hamas ran one of the most successful disinformation campaigns, lying about the number of casualties and the number of terrorists and civilians. Dubowitz told DCNF. “In doing so, he has fallen into a political trap set by Iranian terror mastermind Hamas and its supporters in Michigan and other key states.”
Gabriel Noronha, executive director of Polaris National Security and a former State Department official, told DCNF that Biden could have stayed on track in supporting Israel’s war against Hamas, but the administration’s recent “political decisions” He said it would only increase the potential for terrorist groups. This is because the United States has shown that it wants the conflict to stop.
“Biden is falling into what his own administration rightly perceived as Hamas’ war strategy. And they are totally into it,” Noronha told DCNF. “They are not idiots in the White House. They know exactly what they are doing. They simply chose to prioritize political expediency over U.S. and Israeli national security in order to improve their chances of re-election.”
The administration’s decision comes after months of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country, with demonstrators calling on Biden to call on Israel to initiate an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. A series of protests, some of which turned violent, disrupted civilian life, closed buildings and roads, and in some cases spread anti-Semitism and targeted Jews. (Related: Iran didn’t know Hamas was planning to attack Israel on October 7, US intelligence says)
Immediately after the Oct. 7 attack, Biden vote Following his support for Israel, his support among Democratic voters plummeted. hundreds of A percentage of senior U.S. officials across dozens of government agencies signed a letter to Biden in November condemning his support for Israel and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Biden’s war response continued to hurt him support From January to February, it becomes especially pronounced among Muslim and young voters. Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who hails from a state with a large Muslim population, urged voters not to support Biden in the state’s primary as Biden continues to support Israel, calling on pro-Palestinian activist groups and Leaders also echoed this call.
More than 100,000 people voted for “Irresponsible” rather than Biden in February’s Michigan primary. Biden is currently losing support in other battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, and former president and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump is currently losing support in some battleground states. Leading in blocks.
BREAKING: 🇺🇲 US Vice President Kamala Harris says Gaza residents are starving, calls for immediate ceasefire as part of hostage release agreement pic.twitter.com/d0vNp5yvhw
— MegaGeopolitics (@MegaGeopolitics) March 3, 2024
Internally, the Biden administration reportedly Worried The war between Israel and Hamas will dominate the news cycle in the lead-up to the 2024 elections in November. Mr. Biden has held several talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to reduce operations and bring the war to an early end. The discussions often irritated or confused Biden, and in one case ended with Biden abruptly hanging up on Netanyahu.
By the end of February, 56% of Democrats said they were unlikely to vote for a candidate who supported military aid to Israel. according to responded to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. An overwhelming majority of Democrats polled said they wanted a candidate who supported a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
resound language Biden called for an “immediate six-week ceasefire” in Gaza on March 1 in connection with the release of hostages, a phrase some senior officials have used recently. Pro-Palestinian advocates this week praised the Biden administration’s decision to allow the U.N. ceasefire resolution to pass, but called for further concessions from Biden.
Non-governmental watchdog group Amnesty International said: “This solution is long overdue.” statement on monday. “The United States, which had previously vetoed three resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire, should halt arms transfers to Israel.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group, said, “Millions of activists have pressured the Biden administration for months not to impede United Nations efforts to stop the genocide of Palestinians.” Thank you very much.” He has been criticized for praising Hamas and spreading anti-Semitism, he said in one article. statement on monday. “We need to keep the pressure on. It’s going well.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
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