(JNS) With each passing day, the Biden administration presents further evidence of a concerning trend: Rather than staunchly supporting Israel in dismantling the threat posed by Hamas and securing the release of Israeli captives in Gaza, the administration appears to be inadvertently enabling Hamas’s continued existence.
Indeed, the administration is persistently allocating attention and resources to endeavors that benefit Hamas and undermine the security and well-being of Israeli citizens.
First, there is the continuous pressure on Israel to “minimize civilian deaths in Gaza.” While U.S. rhetoric suggests otherwise, no country has done more to minimize civilian casualties in a war zone than Israel has been doing in Gaza, as world-renowned expert on urban warfare John Spencer has attested. Moreover, the administration knows full well that Hamas strategically uses Gaza civilians as human shields and their deaths are an integral part of Hamas’s global PR war against Israel.
Second, there is the ongoing pressure on Israel to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. There is no need for such pressure, as clear proof of the enormous daily amount of humanitarian aid given to Gaza is readily available. Moreover, the administration gives no attention to the evidence that Hamas steals most of the aid. Further aid will thus strengthen Hamas, which as a result will feel no need to surrender or release its captives.
The Biden administration has now added a new complaint, demanding that Israel improve the treatment of convicted Arab Muslim terrorists, including the infamous mass murderer Marwan Barghouti. Yet no one seems interested in the release of innocent hostages held by Hamas. Nor have there been demands for basic visitation rights by the International Red Cross, which is required under international law.
Moreover, the Biden administration recently abstained on rather than veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire without calling on Hamas to surrender or release the remaining hostages.
And where is the Biden administration’s pressure on Iran or Qatar to force Hamas to surrender and release the hostages? There is none. In fact, the administration just unconditionally handed $10 billion to Iran and renewed a military contract with Qatar.
This glaring double standard has left Israelis feeling abandoned and betrayed by an ally that appears to be advocating for the rights of terrorists over the rights of one of their best friends.
Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz recently told an Israeli audience on Channel 12 news: “Many leaders in the Democratic Party, starting with the vice president [Kamala Harris] and down to the majority leader of the Senate [Chuck Schumer], and other senators and the Squad have turned the Democrats against Israel.”
“The Democratic actions, including not vetoing the [U.N.] Security Council resolution, will end up costing Palestinian lives, Israeli lives and hurting the prospects for the release of hostages,” Dershowitz warned. He described the U.N. abstention as a “terrible decision.”
“You can know it was terrible by it being welcomed by Hamas,” he added. “Hamas applauded the American decision and applauded the United Nations Security Council decision.”
“If you’re Hamas, why make a deal with Israel, because you’re getting everything you need without giving anything up,” he said.
As a result, Dershowitz asserted, “Hamas thinks it’s winning.”
The stunning reversal of support for Israel in the Democratic Party poses a grave threat to American democracy. By aligning with terrorist entities for short-term political gain, the party risks alienating all those who have long championed liberal ideals.
Siding with terrorism for the sake of political expediency sets a dangerous precedent that prioritizes power over principle. Many lifelong Democrats, like Dershowitz, now find themselves questioning the moral compass of a party that once embodied their liberal ideals.
The Biden administration attempts to claim it only has a problem with the Netanyahu government, not the Israeli people. But the Israeli people—whatever they think of Netanyahu—are unified in this war against Hamas. Our message to the Biden administration is simple:
We are united in this fight to end the terror threat on all of our borders. Whether we have support from the Biden administration or not, we will continue until we free our captives and end this threat for good.
That is not just what Netanyahu is saying, it is the will of the entire Israeli people. We will overcome the Biden administration’s backstabbing, but will America?
