U.S. President Joe Biden addressed Israel’s current war against Hamas with a nuanced assessment of the challenges in which he acknowledged the complexities of the path forward. Speaking in Israel, Biden remained unwavering in his belief that Israel must seek justice for the atrocities Hamas perpetrated against it. The visit itself — the fact that he was giving the speech in Tel Aviv — is part of Biden’s steadfast declaration of the enduring U.S. and Israel alliance.
[NOTE: The alliance is as old as Israel itself — “U.S. President Harry Truman was the first world leader to officially recognize Israel as a legitimate Jewish state on May 14, 1948, only eleven minutes after its creation.”]
At the same time, Biden underscored the emotional pitfalls that can waylay a justice seeking campaign, especially one fueled by rage. Biden didn’t deny the Israelis right to feel rage in his speech, but the President did caution Israelis not to be “consumed by it.”
This counsel led to a stunning admission, where Biden referenced the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and implied that in response America had — at least in part — let rage consume its reason, resulting in tactical errors.
“After 9/11 we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes,” Biden said.
Biden: I caution this while you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were enraged in the US. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes… The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/n9nun6ves6
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 18, 2023
Biden says what’s required by Israel now in order to avoid being consumed by rage is “clarity about the objectives.” The choices for the leadership in war time are “never clear or easy,” Biden said, “There’s always costs.”
But there are boxes to check, the President suggested. A proper path forward “requires being deliberate” and “an honest assessment about whether the path you’re on will achieve those objectives.”
