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Biden Is Making a Serious Mistake on Israel — and the World Is at Risk
US President Joe Biden speaks about student protests at US universities, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, during brief remarks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, US, May 2, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard
The Biden administration recently announced that it will withhold military aid from Israel if the IDF launches an operation in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza and the likely location of many Israeli hostages.
Israel — which sees defeating Hamas in Rafah as absolutely necessary for its safety and survival — subsequently began preliminary operations in Rafah’s outskirts. The White House responded by carrying out its threat with respect to certain weapons shipments. There are several possible reasons why President Biden may be taking such a path, but — paradoxically — none of them are likely to be served by this decision.
Israel has defied the United States before, despite threats to military aid. President Truman was strongly against David Ben-Gurion’s decision to declare independence in 1948. Though Truman was a strong ally — and though America recognized Israel’s statehood — the US also joined an international arms embargo against the new country. President Reagan, another strong ally, was enraged by Israel’s 1981 bombing of Iraq’s nuclear reactor and halted the sales of F-16 fighter jets, though he relented two months later.
The present threat from the White House is ostensibly based on a concern for civilian casualties in Rafah due to its large population concentration. This is a unique situation created by the structure of the Gaza war: since October, Israel has defeated Hamas’ battalions in stages, starting from northern Gaza and moving south. In contrast to most armies worldwide, the IDF sacrificed the element of surprise by moving civilians out of combat zones at each stage, with many eventually ending up in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city.
As a result, Rafah came to contain more than a million people, fully half of Gaza’s population.
However, the White House’s concern is fundamentally unfounded: in the past two weeks, Israel has already moved more than 600,000 people out of Rafah, largely to one of the many “humanitarian islands” established by the IDF throughout Gaza. These “islands” provide access to humanitarian aid and field hospitals, with many offering superior medical care compared to Gaza’s conventional hospitals.
No military in history has moved so many civilians out of a war zone, so quickly and safely, and the evacuation is still continuing. These and other strategies have helped to produce the lowest civilian to combatant casualty ratio in human history, nine times lower than the UN global average.
In addition to being disconnected from the present reality in Rafah, the White House’s threat is unlikely to inhibit Israel’s military activities. Military aid is typically ordered months in advance, for resupply rather than for immediate need, therefore, by the time current supplies run low, the Rafah activities will likely be long since over. Moreover, the specific weapons Washington is withholding are heavy ammunition of the sort that is less relevant in urban warfare. The White House has indicated it may extend this policy to other weapons, but it’s currently unclear whether Washington truly wants Israel to halt its operation, or merely wants to make a show of objecting to it.
Why would the White House pursue a nonsensical and ultimately ineffective strategy of publicly breaking with Israel?
One possibility relates to elections. Some far-left lawmakers and activists are vocally hostile to Israel, including calls to end military support and echoing the “river to the sea” chant (widely understood as a call for Israel’s destruction).
A recent survey by TIPP Insights, in coordination with my organization, RealityCheck, shows that 59% of Democrats believe (erroneously) that Israel is committing genocide, a sentiment reflected in the violent anti-Israel and anti-America protests on college campuses.
Yet by catering to the far left, candidate Biden may cost himself the middle, and perhaps lose more votes than he gains. Candidates who “capture the middle” are historically more likely to win by large margins, such as Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and John F. Kennedy. Indeed 80% of Americans support Israel over Hamas, and mainstream lawmakers in both parties oppose Biden’s policy: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called withholding weapons “obscene” given that Israel is “at a time of great peril,” and Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY) said, “America cannot claim that its commitment to Israel is “iron-clad” and then proceed to withhold aid from Israel.”
Shortly after October 7, I was interviewed on an Arab language television program. The interviewer was puzzled that the US would support Israel at all, given Washington’s criticisms throughout 2023 over Israel’s judicial reform controversy.
I answered, “Israel is a democracy, and that makes Israel part of a global family of democracies. Families don’t always agree, but that doesn’t make them enemies.” I realized an important truth in that moment: dissent is rare in dictatorships (which includes effectively all of the Arab world) and therefore not always understood. America’s enemies see dissent as a sign of weakness and an opportunity to attack, while America’s allies, who are watching events in Israel closely, worry whether they can trust America with their survival.
Congressman Torres articulated this concern when he said, “The mixed messaging makes a mockery of our credibility as an ally. No one will take our word seriously.”
The White House strategy is disconnected from events in Gaza, unlikely to be effective as leverage against Israel, and not even likely to achieve the more cynical goal of winning votes. So one has to ask, why is President Biden endangering Israel’s security, America’s precious credibility, and the safety of the entire free world — by playing into the hands of Iran, Hamas, and other malicious actors?
Daniel Pomerantz is the CEO of RealityCheck Research.
The post Biden Is Making a Serious Mistake on Israel — and the World Is at Risk first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Jewish students in Toronto challenge anti-Israel hostilities while marking Oct. 7 anniversary
Hope Schrier was initially scared to go to her downtown Toronto campus on Oct. 7, 2024. But she ultimately decided this would be a day to show her strength—if just […]
The post Jewish students in Toronto challenge anti-Israel hostilities while marking Oct. 7 anniversary appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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A Note From the Editor: The Oct. 7 Massacre, One Year Later
Pro-Israel rally in Times Square, New York City, US, Oct. 8, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
Dear readers,
It is highly unusual for The Algemeiner to post an editor’s note. But we felt the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel required special acknowledgment — and reflection.
You are no doubt familiar with the brutal and unimaginable details: 1,200 murdered, thousands more wounded, and 251 hostages kidnapped in the largest single-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. Perhaps even more shocking than the brutality itself was the sheer glee and brutality with which the terrorists perpetrated mass murder, sexual violence, and other acts of hate too horrible to relive here.
The Hamas-led pogrom had echoes of past persecution that resonated with Jews to their core.
And then there’s what happened afterward. Not just the Gaza war, which has brought an infuriating amount of international pressure on the world’s lone Jewish state to stop defending itself and remain a victim-in-waiting to genocidal terrorists. Perhaps more striking has been the global surge in antisemitism, with Jews around the world being harassed, intimidated, and even assaulted simply for being Jewish.
Those who don’t think the fate of the Jewish state and the Jewish people are intertwined should answer a few simple questions. Why was a Jewish woman beaten and raped in a suburb of Paris as “vengeance for Palestine”? Why are synagogues and Jewish restaurants being defaced with messages of “Free Gaza”? Why do Jewish students at universities across the US and beyond face physical assault, threats, and harassment?
If it was not obvious before, it should be now: anti-Israel animus and antisemitic hate are often one and the same. The former has fueled a historic surge in hate crimes against Jews over the past year.
It has been a difficult last 12 months, full of pain, anguish, and fear. But the past year has also revealed remarkable strength, courage, and resilience. New Jewish and Israeli heroes have emerged, and despite what other media outlets may lead you to believe, I have largely observed unity and solidarity among the Jewish people and their allies, not division.
One year later, Hamas is decimated, Hezbollah is — against all odds — being dismantled as I type this, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the regime in Iran is about to suffer a major blow. There is a real sense that the tide is turning. Even the campus protests are dying down, being kept alive now by a small band of unsuccessful radicals rather than the masses of “activists” who filled the encampments last spring semester.
Here it is worth noting that the anniversary of Oct. 7 is taking place right after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, a time to think about the year that just happened and the one to come.
As we enter the year 5785, Israel’s deterrence has been restored, and there is a real sense that the Jewish state is achieving a victory. Arab states afraid to expand the Abraham Accords in this current political moment may see an opening to pursue normalization once the fighting slows.
In short, I believe we are transitioning from a time of tragedy to one of optimism.
Of course, we must never forget the 101 hostages still in Gaza and continue pushing for their release. It is unimaginable that they have suffered in captivity for 365 days. The soul of the Jewish world cannot heal until they are home.
And we must remain vigilant as antisemitic outrages continue to spike in the US, Europe, South America, and beyond. Not to mention anything could happen in the Middle East, such as another major Iranian-led attack on Israel, to change the regional equation.
But if the last year has been one of agony, the next year could be one of promise and opportunity.
We can all play a part to make this happen, even armed with nothing but a laptop. Indeed, The Algemeiner is more committed than ever to covering the stories that you care about and impact both the Jewish people and the world at large.
The meaning of “Algemeiner” is “universal.” The main reason for this publication’s name is to reference our mission of reaching as many people around the world — both Jewish and non-Jewish — with our journalistic work as possible. But another reason, I think, is that Jewish values are Western values that, when put into practice, make the world a better place. However, when they are spurned, everyone loses. As the journalist Vasily Grossman observed in his book Life and Fate, “Tell me what you accuse the Jews of — I’ll tell you what you’re guilty of.”
Reflecting on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, I could not help but think of a quote by the great American writer Mark Twain. In an 1899 essay titled “Concerning the Jews,” Twain noted that, despite comprising such a small percentage of the global population, the Jewish people somehow not only overcame great empires seeking to destroy them but also thrived in fields as wide-ranging as art, music, literature, finance, and science.
Marveling at the ability of Jews to survive and prosper against all odds without exhibiting “decadence” or “infirmities of age” despite their ancient heritage, Twain concluded, “All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?”
And with that, let us always remember the atrocities of Oct. 7 and also look forward to a new year in which both the Jewish people and the Jewish state will not only survive but thrive.
Sincerely,
Aaron Kliegman, managing editor
The post A Note From the Editor: The Oct. 7 Massacre, One Year Later first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Treasury Department Targets International Charities, Individuals Fundraising for Hamas
Palestinian supporters protesting outside a Scotland vs. Israel match at the a UEFA Women’s European Qualifiers at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland on May 31, 2024. Photo: Alex Todd/Sportpix/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has identified three individuals and one charity as having significant financial ties to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
In a statement released on Monday, the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel, OFAC announced new sanctions against the entities spotlighted by its investigation and noted they play integral roles in funding Hamas’s terrorism ventures under the guise of “charitable work.” The department said that the investigation was part of its efforts to surface abuses by self-described “charity organizations” really working to financially support terrorist groups.
“As we mark one year since Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack, Treasury will continue relentlessly degrading the ability of Hamas and other destabilizing Iranian proxies to finance their operations and carry out additional violent acts,” US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen said in a statement. “The Treasury Department will use all available tools at our disposal to hold Hamas and its enablers accountable, including those who seek to exploit the situation to secure additional sources of revenue.”
“Treasury is committed to exposing terrorists and terrorist organizations that abuse the NPO sector. By publicly identifying a sham charity, this action reduces the overall risk of the NPO sector and helps preserve access by legitimate humanitarian organizations to financial services,” OFAC added in a statement.
The Treasury Department identified Hamid Abdullah Hussein al Ahmar (al Ahmar), a Yemeni national living in Turkey, as an influential and prolific financier of Hamas. According the US government announcement, al Ahmar has served as the chairman of the Al-Quds International Foundation, a charity organization controlled by Hamas. In addition, OFAC identified nine entities controlled by Ahmar — Al Ahmar Trading Group, Al Ahmar Oils Supply and Distribution, Sama International Media, Al Salam Trading and Agencies General Establishment, Saba, Trade & Investment S.R.O, Sabafon International SAL, Sabaturk Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Vivid Enerji Yatirimlari Anonim Sirketi, Investrade Portfoy Yonetimi Anonim Sirketi — as potentially having ties to Hamas’s operations.
The agency also flagged a cohort of Hamas funders based in European countries. Italy-based Hamas member Mohammad Hannoun runs the “Charity Association of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,” according to OFAC, which said the so-called “charity” actually operates as a fundraising effort for Hamas’s military wing. Hannoun has been designated by OFAC for “having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, Hamas.”
Germany-based Hamas member Majed al-Zeer helps spearhead the terrorist group’s European fundraising initiatives, OFAC claimed, adding that he has “appeared publicly with other senior Hamas members in order to generate funding and other support for Hamas.”
Adel Doughman leads Hamas’s Austrian activities and is “one of the most prominent Hamas representatives in Europe,” according to OFAC. Doughman has also maintained high-ranking positions in Europe-based organizations that have allegedly funneled money to the terrorist group.
Both Al-Zeer and Doughman “are being designated for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Hamas,” OFAC wrote.
OFAC also highlighted Hamas’s use of “unlicenced” financial institutions such as Al-Intaj Bank to help facilitate their activities. The Hamas government in Gaza granted the alleged terrorist-supporting bank a “permit” to operate in the Palestinian enclave. The bank “provides financial services for Hamas despite not being connected to international banks,” OFAC said.
OFAC levied sanctions on the implicated actors, banning their organizations and transactions from operating in the United States and mandating their reporting to the agency.
“As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above, and of any entities that are owned directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by them, individually, or with other blocked persons, that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC,” the agency wrote.
In the year following Hamas’s Oct. 7 slaughter of 1,200 individuals in southern Israel, US federal agencies have identified a flood of terrorist-tied fundraising and information efforts on American soil. In July, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines warned that “actors tied to Iran’s government” have encouraged and provided financial support to rampant protests opposing Israel’s war against Hamas.
Iran has for years provided Hamas with weapons, funding, and training.
The post US Treasury Department Targets International Charities, Individuals Fundraising for Hamas first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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