President Biden Grapples with Complex Israel-Palestine Crisis Amidst Diplomatic Challenges
President Joe Biden and his senior aides find themselves grappling with the sudden eruption of violence in Israel, contending with an intricate diplomatic situation unlike any prior Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The relationship between Biden and his longstanding friend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been strained due to Netanyahu’s leadership within a right-leaning coalition in Israel. Meanwhile, the fractured political landscape among the Palestinians complicates the search for a reliable negotiating partner for American officials.
Adding to the complexity, the ongoing Republican presidential primary campaign in the United States seems poised to hold Biden accountable for potentially exacerbating attacks on Israel through his recent agreement with Iran. In the background looms a significant normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which Biden had hoped to finalize.
This amalgamation of factors has resulted in one of the most volatile geopolitical situations of Biden’s presidency, occurring concurrently with a politically charged conflict in Ukraine.
During a phone call on Saturday, Biden assured Netanyahu of the United States’ readiness to provide appropriate support to Israel. Biden emphasized that terrorism cannot be justified, affirming country’s right to defend itself, and underscoring the steadfastness of his administration’s support for country’s security.
The last major outbreak of violence between Gaza and Israel witnessed the United States, including President Biden and senior officials, playing a crucial behind-the-scenes role in brokering a ceasefire. While some of Biden’s Democratic allies called for a more forceful response, the White House opted for discreet collaboration with allies to bring an end to the violence.
Since that time, the US-Israel relationship has grown significantly more intricate. Biden has vocally criticized the Netanyahu government’s efforts to overhaul the judiciary, labeling it a threat to democracy. This friction delayed a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders until last month, when they held talks during the UN General Assembly in New York.
Despite the constructive nature of their meeting, Netanyahu’s struggles to maintain his far-right governing coalition may make American diplomatic intervention in the conflict more challenging, as he faces mounting pressure for a comprehensive response. The political stalemate among the Palestinians, with President Abbas remaining in power since canceling several elections, further complicates the American diplomatic response.
Biden had recently aimed to finalize a significant agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, potentially reshaping the Middle East, with hopes of Netanyahu agreeing to concessions regarding settlements and an eventual Palestinian state. However, the eruption of violence has cast doubt on the possibility of such concessions.
It is evident that the scenes of violence in there will soon be exploited for political attacks against Biden. Critics are likely to draw connections between the Biden administration’s waiver to release Iranian funds and the attacks in Israel, given Iran’s financial support for Hamas. Nonetheless, a senior administration official clarified that the unfrozen funds were solely for humanitarian purposes and had not been allocated to Iran.