We can't possibly go four for four, can we? President Joe Biden has made a mess of things in the Middle East thanks to his muddled policies that try to have it both ways. Beacon contributor Mike Watson explains.
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"Stung by the charge of indifference to Palestinian suffering, President Joe Biden attempted to refute the accusations during his State of the Union address. 'It's heartbreaking,' he said about the cost of the war to Gazan civilians, so 'tonight, I am directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier.' This 'would enable a massive increase' in the humanitarian assistance reaching the beleaguered people of Gaza.
"This week, Hamas and its allies sent their reply to Biden: Drop dead. As preliminary construction started, terrorists bombarded the site, damaging several pieces of American equipment. This misadventure illustrates the core problem of Biden's foreign policy. As much as some Democrats want to abandon Israel and cater to the Palestinians, the rest of the party realizes they cannot do it. Biden is trying to keep his party united by restraining Israel and loudly proclaiming his support for the people of Gaza. But his publicity stunts, like the pier project, are accomplishing very little. The region is still on the brink of war, and the Democrats' Middle East consensus is faltering."
"Democrats care about the Palestinians as much or more than any of their neighbors in the region do, but the Biden team's other ambitions outweigh those concerns. When Biden came into office, he and his team hoped to placate Iran enough to allow for a graceful exit from the Middle East. Much to their surprise, the Iranians contemptuously tossed aside several invitations to reenter the Obama nuclear deal. The administration nevertheless relaxed American sanctions. The mullahs pocketed the concessions, nearly quintupled their oil exports, brought in tens of billions of dollars in revenue, and more than tripled their funding of Hamas, from $100 million to $350 million the year before their murderous rampage. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser who had played a key role in the nuclear deal, confidently asserted in Foreign Affairs on October 2 that the Middle East 'is quieter than it has been for decades.'" |
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