There was a time when the United States government supported Israel unconditionally; when the executive and legislative branches were united in their support of Israel, the only democracy in the region; and when our leaders unflinchingly called out the PLO, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc. for what they are: terrorists committed to the destruction of Israel.
But sadly, those days are gone. The United States now has abandoned Israel and her safety. While this has been a discussion for months (and some believe years), recent actions demonstrate it all too clearly.
Let’s start first with Congress. We are all aware of how the House has welcomed Jew- and America-hating people like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley. How these vitriolic anti-Semites have been allowed to spew their hatred without censure or any repercussions. How their disdain and vitriol against the United States itself has been accepted and even welcomed in the halls of Congress.
But now the Senate has fully joined in on the anti-Israel bandwagon. An amendment was proposed and voted on today that would prohibit any more aid to the Palestinian Authority or any governing body in the West Bank or Gaza until President Joe Biden certifies that, among other things, the Palestinian Authority would:
Publicly renounce Hamas and condemn the October 7 attacks
Formally recognize the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state
Publicly recognize the State of Israel
Remove all security personnel with ties to terrorist organizations
Fully terminate all funding for anti-Israel and anti-American actions
Release any hostages being kept in areas controlled by the P.A.
It would seem that it would be a no-brainer for the Senate to demand this in exchange for the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority. But this amendment was thoroughly rejected.
Amazingly, 100% of Senate Democrats, every one of them (including John Fetterman, who recently has been a vocal supporter of Israel) voted against tying the aid to Palestine’s willingness to condemn the atrocities of October 7 and to formally recognize the State of Israel and it’s right to exist. Senator Chuck Schumer, who immediately after October 7 attended pro-Israel demonstrations and said he would always fully support Israel, voted against this amendment. Richard Blumenthal, Jacky Rosen, and every other Democratic senator who only a few months ago were courting Jewish votes by condemning the horrors of October 7 and the evils of Hamas refused to stand up for Israel in this vote.
One hundred percent. Think about what that says about these senators’ real commitment to Israel, our best, oldest, and only true ally in the region.
Despicable.
But the executive branch has also spent the last few days demonstrating its disregard for Israel and that it doesn’t care about Israel or her people.
Although most Israelis were in favor of designing a two-state solution last year, since October 7 the idea has been abandoned by the people. According to the most recent polls, 81% of Israelis, including Arab Israelis, have shifted their views and believe that there is no hope for peace with the Palestinians, including 70% of left-wing Israeli voters. An astounding 88% of Israelis do not trust the Palestinian leadership and believe that the mission of this war must be to completely destroy Hamas in order for Israel to survive safely into the future.
But despite that reality on the ground, President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken are demonstrating a level of ignorance and hubris that would lead to the elimination of Israel. Rather than being concerned about what the Israeli people need and desire, they are only concerned with ending this war and the pro-Palestinian political demonstrations domestically that might affect their chances for reelection.
Blinken was in Israel and tried to strong-arm Prime Minister Netanyahu into supporting a two-state solution to be administered by Saudi Arabia. When Netanyahu told him a resounding no, Blinken made it clear he would not accept that answer. He approached others in Israeli leadership, and God knows what he offered them to support this idea and to remove Netanyahu from office. And his pressure and cajoling is working with some who, like politicians worldwide, are often more concerned with personal power than the will of the people.
NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reported on this yesterday: “Three senior U.S. officials say the Biden administration is looking past Netanyahu to try to achieve its goals in the region. The Biden administration is trying to lay the groundwork with other Israeli and civil society leaders in anticipation of an eventual post-Netanyahu government. In an attempt to work around Netanyahu [during his visit to Israel], Blinken also met individually with members of his war Cabinet and other Israeli leaders, including opposition leader … Yair Lapid.”
Minister Gadi Eisenkot is now calling for a special election with the intent to remove Netanyahu and replace him with someone who will support Blinken. Lapid is moving forward with Blinken. Even Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has started to talk about what “the day after” looks like, parroting Blinken’s language.
But Blinken’s hubris has no limit. Now in Davos, he said that the only ones opposed to his plan are the Israeli public and Netanyahu. Apparently, to Blinken and his bosses, the will of the Israeli people is inconsequential. The longterm safety of the nation and its people are unimportant.
If the Arab nations around Israel really were committed to peace, Blinken’s arrogance in determining the policies of a foreign nation would be inappropriate. In the wake of October 7, they are disgusting. Blinken seems happy to succumb to the evils of Hamas if it will serve his larger purpose.
It is no longer a suspicion. The current legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government are no longer the friends to Israel that they were historically. Instead, hey are concerned only with their own goals, even if their plans would subject Israel to danger and ultimately destruction.
We must always remember that a two-state solution, with parts of a “Palestine” that are not contiguous, is only a recipe for disaster. It would be a matter of time until the fanatics chanting “from the river to the sea” would attempt to make their country whole and destroy Israel, God forbid. A Palestine composed of Gaza and the West Bank under the authority of the P.A. is only a precursor to an Israel that is repeatedly attacked from all sides.
It is a sad truth not just for Israel and Jews, but for all of the world that the United States government is no longer committed to freedom, liberty, and democracy around the world. These most recent actions of the government demonstrate yet again how important it is that we elect new leaders to replace the ones that are betraying American values.
Otherwise, we may be finding that the surrendering to the evils of Hamas far away in the Middle East becomes a surrendering of all freedom in the world… beginning in our own backyards.