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Avi Shamir

Israel Owes a Big Thank You to Joe Biden

At a time when many Israelis are saying that the Democrats are bad for Israel, it is worth mentioning that every single US administration since the Six Day War has both ensured our qualitative military advantage in the Middle East and called for a resolution of our conflict with the Palestinians, i.e. territorial compromise. Thank you, Joe Biden, for upholding that longstanding policy.

Now that you passed the baton, and with all due anticpation of your unsteady replacement, it is worth recalling all you have done for Israel during your term in office:

First and foremost, your tireless efforts to free the Israeli hostages. It has been an uphill struggle, partly because of the heavy price that Hamas demands in exchange for their release, mostly because the beleaguered Israeli prime minister has done everything to put off their release, which would ultimately spell the demise of his extremist nationalist government. Indeed, one contentious minister has already resigned over the phased hostage deal that is now in place. If your plan is carried out, all the hostages will return home and your sneering successor will claim bragging rights. In truth, just before the end of your watch three young Israeli women were freed from the terror tunnels and brought back to their families, in no small part thanks to you, Mr. Biden.

As an American ex-pat living in Israel, I am proud of the way you handled your announcement to the press on the eve of the hostage deal. With composure, you stated clearly that your team of negotiators is working closely with your successor’s team, “because that’s what American presidents do.” It is no secret that you and Donald Trump harbor feelings of deep mutual disrespect. In 2020, Trump didn’t exactly welcome you to the Oval Office after he falsely accused you of stealing the elections. Thank you, Mr. Biden, for setting aside your enmity with Trump, staying focused on the release of the Israeli hostages and restoring to America the smooth transition of power. With the second coming of Trump, it may be the last time we ever see it.

Your friendship with Israel goes back many years, and you have proven it more than once over the past four years:

In the dark says of Israel’s so-called judicial reform, you took a stand against our government’s shameful bid to strip the Israeli Supreme Court of its independence. Israelis who said then that you had no right to interfere with our internal affairs really missed the point. You reminded us that the United States and Israel share values of liberal democracy, with separation of powers, checks and balances, social equality, protection of minorities and basic human rights, ideals that the founding fathers of both countries handed down which has lasted for generations. Israel’s current leadership is failing to live up to those ideals, and it takes a true friend to tell us that we are losing the plot. Thank you for that, Mr. Biden.

In our darkest hour since the Holocaust, you stood right by us. Pictures of your bearhug with Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the October 7th massacre, with all its awkward body language, stressed that you didn’t have our back out of love for Bibi, but love for Israel. The shifty Netanyahu, with his tongue hanging out, even acknowledged that you’re a true friend and a Zionist. That didn’t stop him from abusing your friendship as you were shelling out billions of American taxpayer dollars to pay for our war. When it became apparent that Netanyahu had no intention of ending the war in three months, as you requested, and dragged things out indefinitely; when it was clear that the PM had no endgame for replacing Hamas rule; when it was painfully obvious that our “strong right-wing leader” had no war strategy to speak of other than the survival of his extremist government; and when Israel’s “humanitarian effort” turned out to be special delivery to Hamas, none of this stopped you from organizing US forces along with European and regional allies to come to our defense as Iran attacked us with over 300 missiles. With that joint effort, you demonstrated that Israel cannot fight a protracted war on many fronts without outside help. That’s what American presidents do, that’s what good friends do. Thank you, Mr. Biden.

Israel once again faces the challenge of the Saudi option, an opportunity to both expand the Abraham Accords and lay the groundwork for a future settlement with the Palestinianas, a scenario which doesn’t resonate with Bibi’s crackpot coalition. Thank you for that too, Mr. Biden. You were pushing for that sound course of action long before October 7th. Someday historians will ask what might have been had we followed your lead.

Ironic, isn’t it? – that Donald Trump has pledged to carry out what you started…

About the Author
Avi Shamir is a freelance writer, editor, translator and the author of "Saving the Game," a novel about baseball. A Brooklyn College graduate with a BA in English, Avi has contributed to the Jerusalem Post, The Nation, Israel Scene, In English and The World Zionist Press Service.