“I think he (Joe Biden) has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”: Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who served under George Bush, then from 2009 – 2011 during the Barack Obama/Joe Biden administration.
With the above in mind, now please read the beginning of this article from London’s Daily Telegraph, titled “Israel’s success has humiliated its critics”:
In the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the death of Yahya Sinwar marks the “beginning of the day after Hamas”. After a year of fighting in Gaza, the architect of the October 7 massacre has faced justice. It is a triumph for the Israel Defence Forces, a grievous blow to Hamas and Iran’s terrorist network – and a chastening moment for London and Washington.
After all, if (UK Prime Minister) Sir Keir Starmer and President Joe Biden had got their way, Israel would have been forced into accepting a ceasefire months ago that would have left Sinwar at large, and Hamas’s military network considerably more capable.
Indeed, at one point Mr Biden stated that he would cut the supply of arms to Jerusalem if Israeli forces entered the city of Rafah. His justification was that America would not be “walking away from Israel’s security”, but Israel’s ability to “wage war” in heavily populated areas.
Given the proclivity of Hamas and its terrorist cells for hiding among civilian populations, the flaws in such a position should have been obvious. And indeed, Rafah is where Sinwar was eventually caught and killed.
I don’t know much about Prime Minister Starmer. And, in any event, he’s the United Kingdom’s problem far more than ours.
But I do know about Joe Biden. And his stance on Israel – fully supported, if you believe her, by Vice President Kamala Harris – fits perfectly into Robert Gates’ assessment.
Lucky for Israel that they have a Benjamin Netanyahu, who is strong enough to risk upsetting the United States President by doing the right thing.
And unlucky for us if we get four more years of this foreign policy losing streak from Biden’s second in command – the one who says she can’t think of any issue on which she differs from him.
