Two weeks ago, Joe Biden okayed more weapons for Israel to use during the U.N.-mandated Gaza ceasefire that Biden then greenlighted. Huh?
Yes, you read that correctly. As widely reported, Biden okayed the U.N. resolution for an immediate unconditional ceasefire in Gaza on March 25th. Few knew that, over the prior weekend, Biden had certified Israel as being in compliance with U.S. law and U.S foreign policy regarding acceptable use of U.S.-supplied weapons. So, more bombs and artillery shells are headed to Israel for… Somewhat incoherent, right?
It is worse than that. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will ignore the U.N. resolution. Why? Because he can. Neither the U.N., nor any member, has any power to enforce U.N. resolutions.
But halting arms shipments would be self-enforcing. Netanyahu would not continue his assault on Gaza. Why? Even if he has sufficient arms at the moment, he would not risk a run-down of his stockpiles, knowing that Hezbollah is perched on his northern border with massively more military power than Hamas in Gaza.
Now, finally, and only after the World Central Kitchens fiasco, has Biden discovered how effective halting arms shipments can be. After Biden finally threatened – only implied a threat of an arms cutoff, Netanyahu immediately agreed to open new aid routes into Gaza.
Joe Biden is feckless and incoherent on a monumental scale. Upon becoming president, Biden wasted no time demonstrating his gelatinous spine. He ordered the disastrous cut-and-run retreat in Afghanistan. When asked why, he said that Trump had agreed to it.
Then, came the Russian “special operation” in Ukraine. No doubt, Putin launched it having observed the chops of the new U.S. president during the Afghan affair. Biden did nothing for the six months while Putin massed his troops on Ukraine’s border. Nothing. When Russia attacked, Biden offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky safe passage out of his country. Biden found out quickly that Zelensky was not a fellow posturer. Zelensky replied “I don’t want a ride out, I want arms.”
So, Biden had no choice and began supplying arms. At every step, he gave Ukraine everything it needed – had the arms been supplied six months earlier. In early days, the Russians were flat-footed and vulnerable and could have been driven out of much, if not all, of Ukraine. Now, Russia has regrouped, and the war looks like it will just grind up young men on both sides until both sides are exhausted.
Joe Biden’s fecklessness is costly. Not only does it invite our enemies to make mischief, but it limits U.S. foreign policy options. This writer has proposed two policy options. Both rely upon the U.S. making important commitments to the two warring parties and to other major powers. Can the U.S. under Biden be trusted?
The first proposal would involve two side agreements to facilitate and bolster an Israel-Hamas ceasefire-hostage-release agreement. First, a coalition of major Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan and potentially others, would commit troops for a Gaza peacekeeping force. These nations would ensure that Hamas would return all hostages upon Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and the peacekeeping force would take over governing authority in Gaza from Hamas. Hamas will concede to Arab nations what it will not to Israel.
A version of this side agreement is under discussion, facing only the obstacle of Netanyahu’s opposition to the Arabs’ precondition that all parties agree that a two-state solution is the end game.
Under the second agreement, the U.S. would withhold arms if Israel did not withdraw upon return of the hostages. Israel will concede to America what it won’t to Hamas.
The second policy proposal follows from the first.
It would entail the establishment of a homeland for Palestinians on the West Bank and in Gaza under an international protectorate, overseen by the U.S. and a coalition of major Arab and non-Arab powers.
The coalition would provide peacekeeping troops, including U.S. troops, to replace the IDF on the West Bank and enforce the permanent demilitarization of the protectorate. The protectorate would be ongoing and depend heavily upon U.S. resolve and trustworthiness.
The essence of this approach is recognition that the two parties, Israel and Hamas (and Hezbollah, et al) cannot negotiate or maintain peace.
The mutual hatred is too intense and entrenched. Yet without a solution, the cycle of violence will continue as it has for a century, getting more dangerous for the world with each go-round. Outside parties need to impose solutions. Yet, the outside parties must be trustworthy.
If Biden intended to give something to both sides two weeks ago by simultaneously green-lighting more arms shipments for Israel and the passage of the U.N. cease-fire resolution for Palestinians, he succeeded. He gave both sides ample reason not to trust him.
Biden’s fecklessness in Afghanistan, Ukraine and the Holy Land creates danger, limits options and incurs unnecessary costs for the U.S. “Peace through strength” is not just a phrase, and it doesn’t just mean military power. It means strength of character.
Red Jahncke is a nationally recognized columnist, who writes about politics and policy. His columns appear in numerous national publications, such as The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, USA Today, The Hill, Issues & Insights and National Review as well as many Connecticut newspapers.