Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu needs to insure that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to the Middle East which began in Turkey on Friday is successful. Blinken must carry home understandings—some public as well as some private—that Israel is moving—now--towards a reduction in shelling of Gaza and the expansion of humanitarian assistance for the Gazan refugees.
Moderate leaders in the Arab world must be prepared to assist the U.S. and the Palestinian people in this goal. These leaders must be persuaded to advise Hezbollah leadership also to agree to a de-escalation of hostilities on the Lebanon and Syrian border. If Blinken fails in his task and if Netanyahu balks at reigning in his extremist right-wing coalition members from their incendiary rhetoric, the consequences for U.S.-Israeli relations may well be pushed back to the days of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in the 1950’s.
The patience of President Joe Biden and American supporters of Israel—both Jewish and non-Jewish—already being strained to the limit. Netanyahu needs to bite the bullet and give Biden public satisfaction—regardless of Bibi’s immediate domestic political costs. To date Netanyahu barely has responded to requests from the White House and from numerous members of the Biden Administration that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ease up in their attacks on Gaza. If the destruction in Gaza continues with no clear military goal other than the elimination of Hamas—which is not achievable—America’s continuing support will diminish markedly. Secretary Blinken’s arrival in Israel will make it crystal clear to Israel that if it does not ratchet down its devastating attacks against the Palestinian people, American support for Israel will fade.
Israel is not only facing a major horrific terrorist organization in Gaza, an increasingly hostile Iran-supported terrorist group in Lebanon/Syria, but opposing voices are escalating within the international community. This week it was announced that the International Court of Justice will commence a proceeding against Israel next week for alleged crimes of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. (What is especially notable about this action by the ICJ is that it is opening its investigation in the midst of an unresolved military confrontation, not following its conclusion.)
Prime Minister Netanyahu may assert that the Israeli High Court decision challenging his planned judicial reform has complicated his political life in the midst of a war. Ironically, this action is a rather timid rebuke compared to the international outrage being voiced against his Government for some of the remarks of Bibi’s own coalition members last week concerning the Palestinian people and the future of Gaza.
It began when Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich continued to withhold tax payments that Israel had collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority on the grounds that these monies were being funneled to Hamas. This was followed by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir demonstrating that he is even more of a disciple of Rabbi Meir Kahane than was imagined. Ben-Gvir recommended that the Netanyahu Government expel or encourage Palestinians to “voluntarily” migrate out of the Gaza Strip. With this remark, the tolerance of even the Biden Administration appeared to have reached its limit. The fact that Netanyahu, although in the midst of a war in Gaza, can accept a Minister of his Government proposing expulsion and/or even genocide against Arabs was inconceivable. Netanyahu’s fear of upsetting his tenuous right-wing coalition by condemning these extremist views is unconscionable.
For Bibi to assume that President Biden will be able to brush aside this behavior by the Israeli Government which Biden has supported overwhelmingly since the war began, is demonstrating a arrogance which is unimaginable. To date, America’s largesse to the Israeli fight has known no limits and has sanctioned no moral, political, or military bounds; no strings attached. This new level of hubris by Netanyahu will push the Biden Administration to rethink its engagement. It is precisely this which Secretary Blinken no doubt will emphasize.
Admittedly, Netanyahu has serious political and legal troubles. He remains, however, the Prime Minister of a democratic nation at war. His leadership has demonstrated a disservice to the IDF, the hostages, and to all the Israeli people. The United States has very serious regional and global considerations which can no longer be dismissed in the name of loyalty to Israel.
Assuming Blinken can persuade Netanyahu not to escalate the conflict in the North and dramatically reduce the confrontation in Gaza, there could be a possibility that the region might be able to return eventually to a more positive direction of mutual cooperation. If that is not the case, terrorists and militants throughout the region—countries as well as non-state actors--will continue to rule the roost with potentially dire global consequences.
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