Joe Biden drew a direct, provocative link between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’ attack on Israel, urging Americans not to abandon their role as “beacon to the world.”
In just his second Oval Office address, Biden said he would ask Congress to provide aid to both Israel and Ukraine and condemned the scourge of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the United States (U.S.). The president’s 15-minute address aimed to bring together the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East to convince America’s war-weary voters and hardlineRepublicans. It’s a conflation that will cause disapproval among many, especially because Israel, with vastly superior military power, is preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza.
“Hamas and Putin pose different threats, but they have one thing in common: They both want to completely destroy theneighboring democracy,” Biden said, sitting at a Resolute table with flags, family photos, gold curtains and a blacked-out window behind him.
Both crises represent a diplomatic test for the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who at 80 is older than the state of Israel itself. That didn’t stop him from making awhirlwind trip to the country on Wednesday.
In Tel Aviv, Biden supported Israel as it prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza following an October 7th attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people. But he also brokered a deal to get some aid to the Gaza Strip through Egypt and, he said, urged Israel to “act according to the laws of war.” More than 3,000 Palestinians have already died in the enclave in the past 12 days of aerial bombardment.
“History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay the price for their terror when dictators don’t pay the price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They continue, and the costs and threats to the U.S.and the world are growing.” While many comments will likely question whether the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East are comparable, it was Biden’s way of warning Congress not to give up on either. “American leadership is what holds the world together. America’s alliances are what keep us, America, safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. Jeopardizing all of that by leaving Ukraine or turning your back on Israel is simply not worth it.”
The president added that he would send an emergency budget request to Congress on Friday to fund support for partners, including Israel and Ukraine. “It’s a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for generations.”
The conflict in Israel has further heightened tensions in the U.S.with protests and counter-protests across the nation. Biden has faced criticism from activists and some in his own Democratic Party for linking U.S. wealth to Israel’s wealth while downplaying humanitarian concerns for the more than two million people in Gaza, Federalna reports.
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