Staff Reports
President Joe Biden must have felt particularly chipper upon arriving in Germany on Friday aboard the ever-so-sleek Air Force One. It was during this moment that he decided to share the good news: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had just dispatched Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to meet his maker. In what sounded more like a congratulatory card from a rather weary uncle than a serious political statement, Biden expressed his support for Israel’s lethal action and seemed overall pleased—perhaps as pleased as a parent who finally got the kid to clean his room.
Biden, for all his habitual missteps, did manage to put a positive spin on this occasion, albeit while awkwardly juggling the idea of ending warfare. He proclaimed it was high time for the bloodshed in Gaza to come to a halt. This proclamation came with all the urgency of someone trying to change the channel during a particularly tense cooking show. He also called for a ceasefire and a swift return of hostages, as if they were overdue library books.
Biden on Yahya Sinwar Killing: ‘It‘s Time for This War to End‘ https://t.co/jyQsAhNJyB via @BreitbartNews pic.twitter.com/fiY4PZXbig
— America First – Always (@fegroup) October 19, 2024
The irony here is hard to ignore. The very only reason Israel saw success in taking out Sinwar was due to Netanyahu tuning out the chorus of demands from Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. One might wonder if those calls for restraint made from the Biden administration were more about checking boxes than being actual serious policy. It appears Jerusalem has a knack for ignoring such requests, which has left Biden playing catch-up with a game that’s already in the fourth quarter.
In his announcement, Biden casually noted sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Israel in the coming days, as if merely signaling for a taxi might somehow alleviate the complex geopolitical conflict unfolding. Blinken’s diplomatic efforts might as well come with a side of Cold War flashbacks and a sprinkle of National Geographic as they prepare to traverse these tricky waters. The best minds in Washington seem to have forgotten that diplomacy can be akin to trying to untangle a pair of headphones—frustrating and often wishful thinking.
Biden’s tendency to play peacemaker now stands juxtaposed with the cold reality on the ground. While he tries to wax poetic about “world peace,” Israel remains entrenched in a battle for its very survival. The administration’s speculations about a peaceful endgame might just be a more optimistic version of “let’s work it all out” meant for summer camp. It’s high time to acknowledge that wishing it all away doesn’t make the complexities vanish. For this administration, the challenge is clear: appeasing the radical left while trying to maintain a semblance of credibility on the world stage. This, unfortunately, has led to a comedy of errors. Perhaps they should take a page out of Netanyahu’s book: sometimes, a strong hand is what’s really required on the global chessboard.
