According to a New York Times editorial of 5/10/24, this is far from the first time that a US president has stabbed Israel in the back. These authors, of course, did not put the matter in quite that precise manner. Rather, they stated as follows: "Biden is not the first US President to cut off weapons to Israel. Other presidents, including, Ronald Reagan, used the power of American arms to influence Israeli war policy..." However, the aforementioned description of Biden's behavior is a bit more accurate, if perhaps too pithy for the tastes of blue state drawing rooms and left-wing faculty lounges (sorry, I repeat myself here).
Why would the so-called newspaper of record write this editorial? Obviously, to protect President Joe Biden from a backlash from the majority of Americans who not only support Israel in general but, further, favor that nation's right to self-defense against the abominable Hamas terrorists. The argument seems to be, "Hey, yes, Biden is trying to rein in the IDF, but don't blame him. Don't think he is anti-Israel, or antisemitic, or too beholden to the Arab vote in Michigan. Do not vote against the Democrats on this ground, for many other US presidents have also taken, precisely, that step, and many of them have been Republicans. Even Ronald Reagan."
But there is all the world of difference, all the world of difference, between turning on a friend when he is in grave trouble, and after he has won the battle or, when, in the midst of it, he is clearly in the ascendency. In the cases mentioned by the Gray Lady, Israel had already emerged victorious, or, was in the midst of a battle with no real, grave danger to itself. For example, President Dwight Eisenhower forced Israel to abandon the Sinai Peninsula, but only after it had conquered that territory and was occupying it.
At present, Israel is in far greater danger than in any of these other cases. Nor was there ever before such a massive seizure of hostages. In order to defend itself, Israel must contend not only with Hamas but with all of the three H's: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. And with their puppet master, Iran, which is behind all three and pulls the strings on these satraps of theirs. Yes, on all these historical occasions, Israel's enemies landed important blows against it, with their suicide bombers, their rockets, their assassinations. But the events of October 7, 2023 place all of these other depredations entirely in the shade. One would have to go all the way back to Germany in the 1940s to exceed the abominations of that day which will ever live in infamy. No, it cannot be denied that Israel is in far worse shape, now than in any of the other instances mentioned by the the Times editorialists. Fair weather friend Joe Biden and his coterie of Democrats are pulling the plug on this nation when its danger is only second to what it faced in 1948.
To add insult to injury at roughly the same time that the US is attempting to put a leash on Israel, it waived congressional prohibitions regard arms sales to Israel's enemies, Qatar and Lebanon, both in the Iranian ambit.
What will be the effect of all this treachery? Does the Biden Administration really want Israel to rethink its long, valued, and treasured relationship with the US? Does it not fear even the remote possibility that perhaps the only real democracy in the Middle East might edge closer to China and Russia? The latter two could certainly use some of the world-famous Israeli high tech. Neither of these countries, further, is exactly known for betrayal of their friends, in their hour of need. Is Biden too senile to realize the danger in which he places our country with this rash action of his? It all comes with particular ill grace from a country that has not won a war it has fought in some 80 years (sorry).
