Biden demonstrated that early in the current crisis by visiting Israel within days of the 7 October massacre, which saw 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians, killed, many tortured and mutilated. He demonstrated it again, just as swiftly, with the dispatch of two US aircraft carriers to the region, aimed at deterring Hezbollah and its Iranian backers from attacking Israel from the north - his one-word message: "Don't." And he showed it once more this month, wielding the US veto at the United Nations - making Washington all but a lone voice against the global chorus demanding that Israel end its offensive in Gaza, which has left so many thousands dead.
But there is one last act of service Biden needs to perform for the sake of the Israel he has stood with so long, a task he is uniquely able to execute. He must push Benjamin Netanyahu from power - and do all he can to ensure he does not return. Right now, the focus of US-Israeli relations is on the clock, on how long Washington will give its ally - which it arms - to pursue its stated goal of defeating Hamas, even at the cost of terrible death and destruction in Gaza. Hints that Biden's patience is wearing thin are getting louder. Last week he warned that Israel is "starting to lose [international] support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place". The signals are that Israel has until the middle or end of January to keep up what the White House calls "high-intensity military operations". After that, it will have to move to "a different phase" - one that consists of focused, targeted raids on Hamas strongholds, with fewer civilian casualties.
Denne historien er fra December 22, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra December 22, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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