Netanyahu's Gift to Joe Biden

The greatest gift from Benjamin Netanyahu to Joe Biden was making the departing American president's Middle East legacy seem much better than it is. And he did it by ignoring Mr. Biden's advice.

- By William McGurn

It started with Mr. Netanyahu's sending ground forces into Gaza to defeat Hamas, which carried out the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.

Later he sent the Israel Defense Forces into Rafah, on the border with Egypt-the key to Hamas's weapons supply. He then pivoted to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which had started shooting at Israel on Oct. 8.

Along the way Israel killed terrorist leaders in Tehran, Damascus and Beirut. Most recently, Israel has been fighting the Houthis, another Iranian proxy that operates from Yemen and has also been battling the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Biden opposed almost all these actions. Even so, he benefits from the Middle East that is beginning to emerge from Mr. Netanyahu's decisions. Hamas has been devastated. So has Hezbollah. The Assad regime in Syria is no more, with the Israelis destroying most of Syria's strategic-weapons stockpiles lest they fall into the hands of radical jihadists linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

We know Mr. Biden understands the gift that was handed to him-because he's now trying to take credit for it. He's doing so even though Mr. Netanyahu's victo- Neta ries would never have come had he heeded Mr. Biden's advice.