This is an astute piece by Nick Kristoff about Biden's support for Israel and, by default, Netanyahu. There were concrete and important reasons to support Israel this fall. However, the current situation has changed and the conditions in Gaza no longer can be left to the Israeli Right. The US helped defend Israel from the Iranian attack and it looks like a massive military aid package for Ukraine and Israel is actually going to pass the House.
Biden has to use that package to force better behavior from the IDF and open aid corridors into Gaza. What's important in the Kristoff piece is that it's not just disruptive college students who are calling for this, but moderate Democratic Senators like Van Hollen and Kaine. Nancy Pelosi signed off on the letter.
As Kristoff notes, this is somewhat out of character for Biden, as he usually an empathetic person and suspicious of military force, at least some of the time and in the Middle East especially.
My hope is that Biden had to wait to condition aid to Israel until after the GOP passed it through the House. If he was threatening to withhold aid, then the bill might not pass. Once the aid leaves Congress and gets to the White House, it can be held up until Israel finally accedes to humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Biden stood on principle to get us out of Afghanistan and paid a price for it, because it was the right thing to do. I understand why he though wrapping his arms around Netanyahu was necessary in November, but I am increasingly baffled as to why he thinks it makes sense now.
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