WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden expressed support Friday for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after the senator called for new elections in Israel, the latest sign that the U.S. relationship with its closest Middle East ally is careening toward fracture over the war in Gaza.
Schumer, a Jewish Democrat from New York, sent tremors through both countries this week when he said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and warned that “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah” as Palestinian casualties continue to grow.
“He made a good speech,” Biden said in the Oval Office during a meeting with Ireland’s prime minister. “I think he expressed serious concerns shared not only by him but by many Americans.”
It is almost 100% certain that Schumer cleared the speech with Biden before giving it.
He’s the majority leader of the senate and the DNC is much more united than the GOP. I’m sure they’re looping each other in and giving each other feedback constantly.
So it’s a matter of say what I won’t say?
Probably, but it makes your dinner a bit more spicy on a Friday evening to have a leading Jewish Democrat ask for it (because it’s a completely reasonable ask at the current time).
If Bibi isn’t reelected three thing seem likely:
- Bibi’s bollixed and he knows it
- We’re hopefully going to see someone the rest of the world can actually work with getting elected who will balance Israel’s right to self defence against the horrors we’re all looking at
- It’ll soothe a lot of US dem voters who are completely horrified at the current situation
Fingers crossed!
who will balance Israel’s right to self defence against the horrors we’re all looking at
I really hate this framing. Israel’s response has not been in Israel’s self interest. There is approximately 0% chance they will defeat Hamas, and approximately 100% chance they have hardended militant anti-Israel sentiment among Gazans for a generation. Further, they have alienated all of their potential regional allies (just as relations were starting to normalize), which is terrible for their long term security prospects in general; and their ability to resolve the Gaza problem in particular (since an ally that Gazan’s can trust would be incredibly useful).
Further, Hamas is not Israel’s biggest threat by far. They spent years planning an attack that only succeeded because of a massive failure on the part of the IDF; and only lasted for a day before the IDF completely steamrolled them.
As we can see know (and has been obvious from the beginning), Hezbolla in Lebanon is much greater military threat. Prior to the war, they were constrained by their rational self interest of avoiding a full war with Israel. In the beginning of the war, they made some pro-forma attacks, to which Israel offered some pro-forma responses; but things along the Israel Lebanon border were relatively quiet, because neither sude really wanted a war. However, as Israel continued its operation in Gaza, the political pressures in Lebanon grew, forcing an escallation of the conflict their. At this point, excluding the initial attack most of the damage to Israel has come not from Gaza, but Lebanon; and the IDF cannot just steamroll them.
And Israel is still in the “good case” of escalation. The elephant in the room here is Iran. As far as I can tell, Iran is not happy about this level of conflict, and is actively trying to avoid getting drawn in. However, it cannot simply abandon its proxies without massive loss of regional power. Nor can it be seen to abandon Gaza without significant internal political problems. The longer this war goes on, the greater the risk of Iran being fully dragged into it. If that happens, then everything up to this point will look like childs play. Israel will probably survive, but for the first time in decades, that will be brought into question.
None of this is new. This is the exact dynamic that was in play on October 6, when Israel’s actions were fully consistent with being aware of this dynamic. When October 7th happened, it did give Israel a bit more leeway to operate in Gaza; but that has always been limited, and has been long exhausted. Now, the dynamics are effectively the same as on October 6, but Israel is making the other decision of actively poking the bear of a regional war insted of simply tiptoeing around it as they had been doing. And Israel’s security suffers greatly for it.
Hamas is already mostly defeated. And the war will not end until it is fully defeated. Hamas’s continued existence is not part of any peace plan or ceasefire.
Hamas can surrender, destroy the tunnels, and free the hostages, and then the bombs will stop. Not before. Bet.
How did the war on terror go? Oh, it created MORE terrorists? Right…
ironically, the war against anger only managed to create more
I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve ever heard of an elected Jewish leader call out any sitting Israeli leader.
Ah you can always rely on Bernie. He’s obviously not as senior as Schumer but he called it first.
My bad.
Oh not at all! I wasn’t calling you out in any way. My first instinct was the same as yours and then I thought “Wait…What about Bernie?” but I had to google it.
It’s all good. I should have remembered Bernie.
On the other hand, Schumer is 100% AIPAC approved. For him to come out means a lot.
For him to come out means a lot.
Definitely. And no offense to Bernie, because he’s an absolute gentleman, but if we’re honest it means more for Schumer to.
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You could argue that running for President on the Democratic ticket makes him a de facto Dem.
And “may you live in interesting times” is supposedly an old Asian curse.
You could argue that running for President on the Democratic ticket makes him a de facto Dem.
I’m not disagreeing, but he’s still (I-VT). What I am saying is there’s most likely a rugged utility in that both sides recognize.
And “may you live in interesting times” is supposedly an old Asian curse.
Yup. Interesting times, indeed.
Yes, but will Bibi go to jail before Trump does?
That’s a race I can get behind!
This is something a non-Jew couldn’t have said without claims of antisemitism, so it’s possible that Biden even asked him to include that in the speech.
even Jewish people are being accused of anti semitism. check out the backlash to the Galzier acceptance speech at the oscars.
Obviously and of course he did. Good instinct.
No doubt
Let’s see a US sponsored UN resolution.
It’s all PR until this happens
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its not like Netanyahu is the only genocidal maniac in Iraeli government, either.
It’s not like he’s been a genocidal maniac for decades and still got elected multiple times already
Not sure where you learned to negotiate, seems like nowhere, but if you pull your own leverage how do you negotiate?
Israel has everything it needs right now to carpet bomb all of Palestine a dozen times over before cutting off US support alters it’s defensive posture in the slightest.
You’ll never hear this stuff from Republicans. That’s another big differentiator between Republican and Democrat. Republicanism will destroy freedom if they continue to win unchecked.
What you say is true, a lot of potential voters are not seeing this as a change of heart, but rather a theatrical distancing from an unpopular issue (perpetrating genocide).
Republicanism will destroy freedom if they continue to win unchecked.
Then the people who would refuse to vote for Biden in 2024 if he cuts off weapon shipments need to think long and hard which one is more important to them.
Oh look, criticizing biden and showing him we meant business in the primaries actually worked.
Like its supposed to, All you fucking mouth breathing fucktards that were out there crying “DONT BE MEAN TO BIDY IT MAKE TRUMPY STRONK”
Now if he follows up stopping weapon deliveries to Israel, it’d be perfect.
The crazy part to me is how there’s all this focus on the obligations of progressives and leftists to compromise while ignoring the supposed reason why. If Biden would lose support for cutting off weapon shipments that means there are people who voted for Biden in 2020 but refuse to do so in 2024 because they want to support genocide.
Those are the people who deserve the lectures, shame and endless repetition of the “vote blue no matter who” mantra. Those people are not holding up their end of the bargain. They demand compromise yet yield nothing in return. While whining when Republicans do the exact same shit.
We all know what generation and ethnicity I’m talking about.
My write in vote for “Palestinian Genocide Victims” for the democratic presidential nominee worked. You’re welcome everyone.
Nothing to do with the content, it’s simply a matter of Biden not wanting to undercut the Democratic lead in the Senate.
I guarantee Biden will stop wagging his finger at Netanyahu when the US election is over.
Of course. Biden will be too busy blocking the next rail strike in 2025 to care about what progressives and leftists think about Israel.
