A Match Made in Hell
How Biden's own bloodlust is serving the Trump campaign.
After 8 months of allowing Israel to commit atrocities against Palestinians both in Gaza and other occupied territories it’s clear that Joe Biden is a devout Zionist and sees Palestinians as collateral damage in shoring up American control in the Middle East. This perspective has nearly destroyed any chance of Biden winning over Arab American voters in swing states. It’s baffling that no one in Biden’s orbit has intervened and tried to convince the 81-year-old that his decision to allow and assist Israel in its monstrous destruction will be the end of him and the Democrats in November. Has the blood of Palestinians given them rose colored glasses?
I’m sure after the election, when Democrats are walking around like asses without tails, they’ll blame protesters and the ignorant youth. A couple of book deals are probably getting inked with tales of senior staffers who tried to warn, even persuade, but were ignored. But anyone who works for the administration who has yet to publicly resign and criticize the U.S.’s policies with Israel should remain quiet after November.
While the U.S.’s role in Gaza will hurt the Dems, the Republicans and Trump on the other hand will remain mostly unaffected. True, there is some resentment among those in the MAGA wing who complain that too much money is being spent abroad. We see that when it comes to Ukraine spending bills. But after Israel was added to aid packages, that resistance faded as both parties suck on the teat of AIPAC and indulge in their shared Islamophobia and Christian Zionism.
Netanyahu said the “war” will continue for another 7 months. With neither presidential candidate posing a threat to Israel, what incentive does he have to end his crusade before the election? If anything he has more of a reason to draw it out in hopes the continued war will worsen Biden’s chances and ensure that he is back together again with Trump, who is not only an ideological ally, but similarly fucked.
Like Trump, Netanyahu is in a high stakes political conundrum. He needs this war to continue to stay in power—members in his coalition have threatened to collapse the government if he agrees to a ceasefire deal. Trump, meanwhile, needs to be in the White House to stay out of jail. That makes them perfect bedfellows at this moment.
As Israel's actions grow more unpopular, there is an effort by liberal Zionists to shift blame from the overall settler state to the rogue actions of Netanyahu. But by focusing political pressure solely on Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister has even more of an interest in Trump retaking the presidency. Trump has already shown himself to be a great friend when he recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. Embassy there as well. He also ushered in the Abraham Accords. Trump is not only a Zionist, but a fellow demagogue.
This may answer why so many high profile Republicans have visited Israel in recent months. Trump's foreign policy advisors met with Netanyahu and the Israeli government to “better understand Israel's complex domestic political situation,” Reuters reported. And Nikki Haley may have been endearing herself to him when she wrote “finish them!” on a bomb. Trump has hinted that Haley would be part of his administration.
While Trump has criticized Netanyahu for failing to prevent October 7, he’s also said that “they have to finish what they started,” a point of agreement where Netanyahu aligns more with Trump than Biden. On Friday, Biden put forth a “three phase plan” for permanent ceasefire (one that Hamas suggested 3 weeks ago). It would include Israel’s withdrawal from the strip, the ability of Palestinians to return to Gaza (to what, exactly, is another question), and the release of all Israeli and American hostages. His proposal came nearly a week after an especially hideous massacre at a Rafah U.N. tent camp. Biden framed the plan as Israel’s and boasted that it was through his team’s hard work that it came together. “Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out an October 7,” he said, adding that the plan “sets the stage for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
But Netanyahu dismissed Biden’s claims, saying on Saturday that “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed…the notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.” This embarrassing public contradiction of Biden, who has been politically weakened by his support for Netanyahu, seems to affirm that the Israeli Prime Minister couldn’t care less about the domestic ramifications of Biden’s policy in Gaza. It also shows that Biden and the U.S. have lost control over the genocide that they are backing. Any continued effort to send weapons or funding to Israel will only provide further evidence of his administration’s ineptitude.
With at least 36,962 Palestinians murdered it’s hard to make a clear argument for why a Trump presidency will be worse for Palestinians, though it’s not unimaginable that it would be. The differences between Biden and Trump may be more clear once the military aggression campaign has ended and the rebuilding begins.
Netanyahu’s political allies are pushing for settlements to be built in Gaza. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the “emigration” of remaining Palestinians from Gaza, telling one journalist he would personally “be very happy to live in Gaza.” In February, Israel announced 3,330 more settlements in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu has told CNN that “resettling Gaza was never in the cards,” but it’s hard to trust a liar.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner told an audience at Harvard in March that beachfront property in Gaza would be “very valuable.” It was in Israel’s interest, he said, to “move the people out and then clean it up.”