It's time to recall the words that Israel's prime minister told the Americans in 1982: "We will stand by our principles. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid."
This article is spot on. I hope Mr. Biden gets to read it and take note that this is not the time to waver on the US support of Israel - he will definitely be on the wrong side of history if he does. And he will not be representing the majority of Americans either, just the usual loud rabble of malcontents.
The way I see it Israel is going to do what it has to do to survive. Good for them. Unfortunately, President Biden is in an unenviable position. Israel can just keep showing the world what President Biden said after the Hamas attack on October 7, and that may lose him the election because the left won’t vote for him. If Biden pulls the support from Israel, that will make Biden and Americas promise to support its allies weak. Nobody wants a week President, especially now...
Good points Edward! I also cynically wonder if Biden wanted to show his flamboyant support for Israel to his Jewish base and Jewish donors, and only now realizing that more of the Democratic base is opposing his original posturing. And this wouldn’t be the first time that the U.S. left their allies hanging, irrespective of Biden. The U.S. has consistently done what’s in their best interests, and that’s fine. It’s also why, as you pointed out, Israel will do the same.
I have found very few people to look up to when it comes to American behavior and discourse on this topic since October 7th. The vast majority of ppl, even politicians, writers etc. hold reductive views, often from a lens that exposes their total obsession with skin color’s influence on every possible issue. They refuse to see Israel/Palestine as the symbolic conflict it represents b/w ideologies, or to look at the conflict within the context of the Middle East as a whole. I’ve frequently been told that Hamas formed as a “natural” resistance b/c of the “apartheid” or occupation, and that religion has nothing to do with it. They think even stating facts, like Hamas is misappropriating billions in aid to fund terrorism, is somehow “pro-Zionist propaganda” (while they use Al Jazeera) and often “racist” or “Islamophobic.” Finally, I have found that 99.9% of the time they’re impossible to reason/communicate with, and they constantly pat themselves on the back for being “on the right side of history.”
It must have more to do with how they see themselves than anything to do with Israel/Palestine, or ppl would be more flexible to moderate their opinions with new information, less defensive to minor disagreements, and more tolerant towards others. Especially if they see themselves as marginalized, they tend to excuse absolutely anything, which is why BLM thinks of Palestinians as “just like them.” Nevermind that Jews are the MOST persecuted group.
Many excellent thoughts here. One piece that is missing for me is that Bibi wasn’t a popular PM before 10/7, and now that there’s a war, I still ultimately don’t trust him. For example, I’m concerned about the settler violence in Judea and Samaria. Why isn’t this considered a big problem for the war effort? Hamas and Hezbollah aren’t enough, so let’s get Fatah riled up as well??? Any thoughts on this? Are all Israelis comfortable with the current government? Thanks!
Of course the settler violence that’s been reported is unacceptable and should be dealt with by our government to the strongest extent of the law.
Bibi recently met with settler leaders about this very issue, not sure if you saw that. I think it’s also important to note that settlers make up less than 10% of the Israeli population. So, while the settler violence is absolutely unacceptable, we should talk about it in proportion to the settler percentage of Israeli population. We should not over-emphasize it and not let it overshadow the core reasons we’re fighting this war.
And no, many Israelis are not comfortable with the current governing, including myself. Many Israelis agree on two things: to remove Hamas and then to remove the current government via election.
Thank you for this essay, Mr. Hoffman. I continue to say Tefillin daily and pray my most sincere prayers to Hashem. I have uttermost faith that He will save His people. I am sure that America will elect the best president who will support Israel and the Jewish people.
Friends? It was the US who pressured Israel to keep pursuing the 2 state solution when it was clear the Arabs/so-called Palestinians were not interested in it. The US has not been a true friend. We are nothing but a "proxy" they need in the Middle East to look out for their interests. That's why they give us the time of day. And because some Jewish American influencers put pressure on politicians. The relationship has always been based on US self-interest; not in a true alliance. Rabbi Meir Kahane was right when he warned the US would not always be our ally.
Where it criticizes Biden as being unfit for office etc. To be clear, you're right to call out the shift in policy away from unwavering support. For context, w/o hesitation Biden didn't just offer verbal support, he brought major US allies on board, promptly positioned military assets, and put Blinken on a diplomacy tour. Doubt Trump would have been as straightforward. Do need to keep up the pressure so they stay the course regardless of the political fallout.
Hi Dave, I’m not sure what Trump has anything to do with this.
As it relates to Biden, I don’t see how my criticism of him is political. He is in office and is therefore responsible for America’s decisions. If he was a Republican president, the same would be true.
Again, it’s true that Biden started strong both in actions and words, but his administration has teetered recently, and in the Middle East, any sign of weakness is incredibly dangerous.
I didn’t make this political at all. Just brought up the actual facts. Biden supports Israel or he doesn’t. Let that be the official record and see what happens...
Everything is political and politics is about perception. Of course, America wants Israel to eradicate Hamas. Hamas exists specifically to kill Jews, to Destroy Israel, and there is no negotiating with them. But there has been a rising tide of anti-semitism, not only here, but around the western world, which Biden does not want to turn into a tidal wave. Hamas knew this would happen, knew after such butchery Israel could not fail to respond, and knew 1,000’s of children and other civilians would die because of Hamas’s placement in the communities. That was the point, they welcome it. And I believe that Israel is now, in fact, playing Hamas’s game ,by their rules, and , whatever the outcome, if American public opinion seriously goes against Israel, no president, now or in the future, will be able to continue to give unqualified support. As one Zionist rabbi here said, if the price of Israel’s survival is always the slaughter of innocent children, what’s the point? What, indeed survives? And how do we, in America, support it ( not to mention the runaway hooliganism of settlers)? Israel is supposed to be the adult in the room; it must find a better way.
Joshua, I’ll preface with this: in every nation that still has democratic institutions, a ruling coalition or administration needs to recognize 1. What is in the best interests of their country and 2. How they can continue to honor the obligations among allies if their own citizens oppose them . Biden personally has always considered Israel an ally, and will do what is possible politically to do. It’s difficult with Israel because Netanyahu has cozied up to nationalist leaders who not only are dictators, but are rewriting the history of their countries’s culpability during the Holocaust. That does not sit well with Americans. Also, we see the whole settler business, as , until this war, the major nail in the coffin of a 2-state solution, which most Americans Support. Now, Hamas has engineered a winning scenario , which traps Israel in a totally unwinnable situation. Even if every Hamas fighter is taken off the board, the terrible and mounting collateral damage, I believe, will damn Israel in the eyes of what few friends it has, will scuttle peace agreements with other Arab states, will ensure a new generation of Hamas on your border, and will allow a more open and strident anti-semitism, which no American president wants to deal with.
So I feel that Biden’s seeming withdrawal from total, unqualified support should be expected, not because he doesn’t have Israel’s best interests at heart, but Israel has not allowed much wiggle room. And it’s Israeli existence he wants to ensure, not Netanyahu’s, who must Americans feel is a non-democratic, ultra-nationalist fascist, Palestinian -hating crook.
So now, my solution?
As long as you eliminate Hamas, there’s no imposed timeline. Stop bombing. Give the residents of Gaza real time to leave, and agree with Egypt to erect refugee centers in the Sinai with food and water. Have the IDF assist in moving Gazans into the West Bank. Israeli intelligence knows who the Hamas leaders and soldiers are- if they try to escape, follow with assassination squads. Pinpoint more accurately where Hamas is and then, when they aren’t protected by a hostage population, go in. Right now, Israel is playing Hamas’s game.
1) Of course you’re 100% right about your first two initial points.
2) Agreed that Netanyahu is and has been a major problem. Not sure I agree with all the words you used to describe him, but absolutely agree that he hasn’t helped Israel’s public image, foreign relations, and of course internal domestic political circus in Israel.
3) Settlers make up less than 10% of the Israeli population, and are overemphasized in relation to their actual Israeli population percentage, in my opinion.
Also, Israeli settlements have never historically been the reason we still don’t have a two-state solution. Israel already has given up land multiple times and has been willing to do it again before, so the settlement issue is a lot more Palestinian propaganda.
4) I won’t comment on your Hamas comments, too speculative right now for me to do so.
5) While I agree that Egypt should step up and help with the Palestinians, many Arab countries have had the opportunity to help the Palestinians for the last several decades, and never have (aside from money). So I’m afraid your solution, while theoretically plausible, is actually very much unrealistic.
Again, it’s easy to be critical of Israel but many people do this without really looking at the entire picture, which includes the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the greater geopolitical landscape and history across North Africa and the Middle East.
This article is spot on. I hope Mr. Biden gets to read it and take note that this is not the time to waver on the US support of Israel - he will definitely be on the wrong side of history if he does. And he will not be representing the majority of Americans either, just the usual loud rabble of malcontents.
The way I see it Israel is going to do what it has to do to survive. Good for them. Unfortunately, President Biden is in an unenviable position. Israel can just keep showing the world what President Biden said after the Hamas attack on October 7, and that may lose him the election because the left won’t vote for him. If Biden pulls the support from Israel, that will make Biden and Americas promise to support its allies weak. Nobody wants a week President, especially now...
Good points Edward! I also cynically wonder if Biden wanted to show his flamboyant support for Israel to his Jewish base and Jewish donors, and only now realizing that more of the Democratic base is opposing his original posturing. And this wouldn’t be the first time that the U.S. left their allies hanging, irrespective of Biden. The U.S. has consistently done what’s in their best interests, and that’s fine. It’s also why, as you pointed out, Israel will do the same.
Unfortunately, another black eye for the USA.
I have found very few people to look up to when it comes to American behavior and discourse on this topic since October 7th. The vast majority of ppl, even politicians, writers etc. hold reductive views, often from a lens that exposes their total obsession with skin color’s influence on every possible issue. They refuse to see Israel/Palestine as the symbolic conflict it represents b/w ideologies, or to look at the conflict within the context of the Middle East as a whole. I’ve frequently been told that Hamas formed as a “natural” resistance b/c of the “apartheid” or occupation, and that religion has nothing to do with it. They think even stating facts, like Hamas is misappropriating billions in aid to fund terrorism, is somehow “pro-Zionist propaganda” (while they use Al Jazeera) and often “racist” or “Islamophobic.” Finally, I have found that 99.9% of the time they’re impossible to reason/communicate with, and they constantly pat themselves on the back for being “on the right side of history.”
It must have more to do with how they see themselves than anything to do with Israel/Palestine, or ppl would be more flexible to moderate their opinions with new information, less defensive to minor disagreements, and more tolerant towards others. Especially if they see themselves as marginalized, they tend to excuse absolutely anything, which is why BLM thinks of Palestinians as “just like them.” Nevermind that Jews are the MOST persecuted group.
Well said Lillie! ❤️
Many excellent thoughts here. One piece that is missing for me is that Bibi wasn’t a popular PM before 10/7, and now that there’s a war, I still ultimately don’t trust him. For example, I’m concerned about the settler violence in Judea and Samaria. Why isn’t this considered a big problem for the war effort? Hamas and Hezbollah aren’t enough, so let’s get Fatah riled up as well??? Any thoughts on this? Are all Israelis comfortable with the current government? Thanks!
Hi Bill, great point about Bibi.
Of course the settler violence that’s been reported is unacceptable and should be dealt with by our government to the strongest extent of the law.
Bibi recently met with settler leaders about this very issue, not sure if you saw that. I think it’s also important to note that settlers make up less than 10% of the Israeli population. So, while the settler violence is absolutely unacceptable, we should talk about it in proportion to the settler percentage of Israeli population. We should not over-emphasize it and not let it overshadow the core reasons we’re fighting this war.
And no, many Israelis are not comfortable with the current governing, including myself. Many Israelis agree on two things: to remove Hamas and then to remove the current government via election.
Thank you for this essay, Mr. Hoffman. I continue to say Tefillin daily and pray my most sincere prayers to Hashem. I have uttermost faith that He will save His people. I am sure that America will elect the best president who will support Israel and the Jewish people.
🙏🇮🇱✡️
Friends? It was the US who pressured Israel to keep pursuing the 2 state solution when it was clear the Arabs/so-called Palestinians were not interested in it. The US has not been a true friend. We are nothing but a "proxy" they need in the Middle East to look out for their interests. That's why they give us the time of day. And because some Jewish American influencers put pressure on politicians. The relationship has always been based on US self-interest; not in a true alliance. Rabbi Meir Kahane was right when he warned the US would not always be our ally.
Where it criticizes Biden as being unfit for office etc. To be clear, you're right to call out the shift in policy away from unwavering support. For context, w/o hesitation Biden didn't just offer verbal support, he brought major US allies on board, promptly positioned military assets, and put Blinken on a diplomacy tour. Doubt Trump would have been as straightforward. Do need to keep up the pressure so they stay the course regardless of the political fallout.
Hi Dave, I’m not sure what Trump has anything to do with this.
As it relates to Biden, I don’t see how my criticism of him is political. He is in office and is therefore responsible for America’s decisions. If he was a Republican president, the same would be true.
Again, it’s true that Biden started strong both in actions and words, but his administration has teetered recently, and in the Middle East, any sign of weakness is incredibly dangerous.
I didn’t make this political at all. Just brought up the actual facts. Biden supports Israel or he doesn’t. Let that be the official record and see what happens...
The article is good up to the point where it crosses the partisan line. Focus on policy, not political spin. Thank you.
Which part is political spin?
Everything is political and politics is about perception. Of course, America wants Israel to eradicate Hamas. Hamas exists specifically to kill Jews, to Destroy Israel, and there is no negotiating with them. But there has been a rising tide of anti-semitism, not only here, but around the western world, which Biden does not want to turn into a tidal wave. Hamas knew this would happen, knew after such butchery Israel could not fail to respond, and knew 1,000’s of children and other civilians would die because of Hamas’s placement in the communities. That was the point, they welcome it. And I believe that Israel is now, in fact, playing Hamas’s game ,by their rules, and , whatever the outcome, if American public opinion seriously goes against Israel, no president, now or in the future, will be able to continue to give unqualified support. As one Zionist rabbi here said, if the price of Israel’s survival is always the slaughter of innocent children, what’s the point? What, indeed survives? And how do we, in America, support it ( not to mention the runaway hooliganism of settlers)? Israel is supposed to be the adult in the room; it must find a better way.
Gary, it’s easy to be critical of Israel without offering any real (and realistic, not hypothetical) solutions. So what is the better way you propose?
Joshua, I’ll preface with this: in every nation that still has democratic institutions, a ruling coalition or administration needs to recognize 1. What is in the best interests of their country and 2. How they can continue to honor the obligations among allies if their own citizens oppose them . Biden personally has always considered Israel an ally, and will do what is possible politically to do. It’s difficult with Israel because Netanyahu has cozied up to nationalist leaders who not only are dictators, but are rewriting the history of their countries’s culpability during the Holocaust. That does not sit well with Americans. Also, we see the whole settler business, as , until this war, the major nail in the coffin of a 2-state solution, which most Americans Support. Now, Hamas has engineered a winning scenario , which traps Israel in a totally unwinnable situation. Even if every Hamas fighter is taken off the board, the terrible and mounting collateral damage, I believe, will damn Israel in the eyes of what few friends it has, will scuttle peace agreements with other Arab states, will ensure a new generation of Hamas on your border, and will allow a more open and strident anti-semitism, which no American president wants to deal with.
So I feel that Biden’s seeming withdrawal from total, unqualified support should be expected, not because he doesn’t have Israel’s best interests at heart, but Israel has not allowed much wiggle room. And it’s Israeli existence he wants to ensure, not Netanyahu’s, who must Americans feel is a non-democratic, ultra-nationalist fascist, Palestinian -hating crook.
So now, my solution?
As long as you eliminate Hamas, there’s no imposed timeline. Stop bombing. Give the residents of Gaza real time to leave, and agree with Egypt to erect refugee centers in the Sinai with food and water. Have the IDF assist in moving Gazans into the West Bank. Israeli intelligence knows who the Hamas leaders and soldiers are- if they try to escape, follow with assassination squads. Pinpoint more accurately where Hamas is and then, when they aren’t protected by a hostage population, go in. Right now, Israel is playing Hamas’s game.
Appreciate the detailed reply Gary!
Will try to keep my reply succinct.
1) Of course you’re 100% right about your first two initial points.
2) Agreed that Netanyahu is and has been a major problem. Not sure I agree with all the words you used to describe him, but absolutely agree that he hasn’t helped Israel’s public image, foreign relations, and of course internal domestic political circus in Israel.
3) Settlers make up less than 10% of the Israeli population, and are overemphasized in relation to their actual Israeli population percentage, in my opinion.
Also, Israeli settlements have never historically been the reason we still don’t have a two-state solution. Israel already has given up land multiple times and has been willing to do it again before, so the settlement issue is a lot more Palestinian propaganda.
4) I won’t comment on your Hamas comments, too speculative right now for me to do so.
5) While I agree that Egypt should step up and help with the Palestinians, many Arab countries have had the opportunity to help the Palestinians for the last several decades, and never have (aside from money). So I’m afraid your solution, while theoretically plausible, is actually very much unrealistic.
Again, it’s easy to be critical of Israel but many people do this without really looking at the entire picture, which includes the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the greater geopolitical landscape and history across North Africa and the Middle East.