It is not every day that a country dares to ignore the mighty America. Most nations know that defying the US president would result in a stern warning, perhaps a little diplomatic indifference or, in the worst case, a new set of sanctions. But then again, not every leader is Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister seems to have mastered the art of dodging President Joe Biden’s advice — without doing much harm to himself.
Last week, the most powerful leader of the most powerful country found himself complaining about ‘Bibi’ – as Netanyahu is nicknamed – almost like a frustrated father scolding his beloved but mischievous son. Responding to a reporter at the solemn White House, Biden expressed a sense of betrayal, complaining, “No administration has helped Israel more than mine. No one. No one. No one. And I think Bibi should remember this.” The scene was shocking. Biden must have been so hurt that his words sounded less like diplomacy and more like a helpless parent wondering why their rebellious son no longer listens to them.
The reporter’s question was directly related to suspicions prevalent in Democratic Party circles that the Israeli Prime Minister was deliberately dragging his feet on the Gaza ceasefire proposed by Biden in May. Biden echoed that view and wondered whether Netanyahu was stalling the proposed ceasefire until the US presidential election on November 5. The president said, “And whether he’s trying to influence the election, I don’t know, but I’m not counting on it.”
Biden really shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, when Netanyahu was vice president under Obama, he had the audacity to publicly reject the Iran nuclear deal by walking up to the White House and addressing the Republican-dominated Congress. He was simply biding his time, waiting for Hillary or Trump to step in and fix things after the 2016 election. Then, Trump was elected. And what did he do? They canceled the deal and handed Netanyahu exactly what he was waiting for.
No one feels sorry for Biden
Any sympathy for Biden’s heartbreak? It appears there is none. How ironic that now that he is on his way out, he is accusing Netanyahu of delaying the ceasefire. Until now, Biden had been conveniently ignoring Bibi’s obstruction tactics, instead blaming Hamas every time talks broke down. Never mind that his own advisers and party leaders have subtly signaled that Netanyahu has no interest in any ceasefire agreement – at least not until January 2025, when a new president will enter the White House. It is clear that Bibi is betting big on Trump’s return. He believes that while Trump is president, he can get a free hand in West Asia.
Of course, no one is saying Israel is meddling in the US elections. Rightly or wrongly, accusations of interference are reserved for China, Russia and Iran. But Biden’s point was clear: Netanyahu appears to be stalling the ceasefire, hoping to drag things out until the election. If the ceasefire happens first then Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris may get an edge. But if things remain messy, Netanyahu’s old friend Trump could return and wouldn’t that be a convenient reunion?
Senator Chris Murphy, who is a close friend of President Biden, recently told cnn“I don’t think you need to be hopelessly cynical to read some of Israel’s actions, some of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions, as being linked to the U.S. election,” he said. Several US mainstream newspapers reported in September quoting US officials that they did not believe a deal would be reached during Biden’s presidency.
American Presidents’ Badges of Honor
Foreign policy, frankly, rarely moves the needle in American elections. Yet every presidential candidate somehow convinces himself that if he does not stand firmly with Israel, his chances of winning will diminish—despite there being no evidence to support this. . Since the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, every US president has proudly pledged to support Israel and zealously defended its security. He worked tirelessly for a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians or Arab countries. And those who succeeded in striking a peace deal wore it like a shiny badge of honor – even if some of those deals were, let’s say, less than unprecedented, and favored Israel. some examples:
- Camp David Accord, 1978Jimmy Carter facilitated a historic peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, which led to Egypt recognizing Israel and Israel returning the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
- Oslo Accords, 1993Bill Clinton successfully brokered the first face-to-face agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), resulting in the Oslo Accords in 1993. It created a framework for future peace talks
- Roadmap for Peace, 2003George W Bush insisted on a two-state solution through this agreement but he faced difficulties in implementing it.
- Abraham Accords, 2020Donald Trump signed normalization deals for Israel with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, reshaping Middle East relations. A deal with Saudi Arabia was next in line, but Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel last year derailed the peace process. Many critics of the agreements argued that the agreements completely sidelined the Palestinians’ demands for statehood.
Biden’s ironclad support for Israel
In recent years, only two presidents – Joe Biden and his old boss Barack Obama – missed the peace deal process in West Asia altogether, although Obama managed to strike a nuclear deal with Iran, which Trump later canceled. Gave. Notably, Obama had a very cordial relationship with ‘Bibi’. In fact, it is widely considered to be the worst personal dynamic ever between a US President and an Israeli Prime Minister. And this is despite both countries achieving extreme security cooperation.
Biden may have failed to broker a peace deal in West Asia, but make no mistake, under his presidency, Israel has received maximum support. He has blindly supported Israel’s systematic destruction of Gaza and refused to impose conditions on US military aid. So, he wasn’t really wrong when he complained on Friday that “no administration has helped Israel more than mine”.
America is already at war
Over the years, the US has maintained the perception that it is an honest peace broker and neutral mediator in West Asia. But America’s role in the West Asia crisis is a perfect example of mixed signals. On the one hand, it is reportedly working tirelessly to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. On the other hand, it is arming Israel, basically giving them the green light to continue attacks in Gaza and Lebanon. And let us not forget, Biden has made it clear that he would jump to Israel’s defense if Iran even thought about attacking them again. To be fair, many would argue that the US is already knee-deep in this conflict, given that it has helped Israel destroy Iranian missiles not once but twice since April. Shares daily information with the Israeli military, and has warships on standby in the Red Sea. In defense of the Jewish state. Doesn’t sound like a neutral referee on the field, does it?
The Trump administration finally blew its cover when it openly sided with Israel against the Palestinians, leading Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to declare the US an unreliable peace broker. Palestinians were angry that they were ignored in the Abraham Accords signed between Israel and some Arab countries. Apart from this, Palestinians were also angered by Trump’s controversial decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
Today, it is almost sad to see how Biden is sabotaging his efforts for a ceasefire by sticking to his guns. While he is blinded by his love for Israel, the world watches with bated breath, unable to intervene. The United Nations Security Council has proved to be toothless. BRICS and G20 are disappointingly silent. It reminds this author of some lines from Matthew Arnold’s poem, “Wandering between two worlds. One dead, the other powerless to be born”.
(Syed Zubair Ahmed is a London-based senior Indian journalist with three decades of experience with western media)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
