Biden, Bibi, and the Middle East

FLORIDA  
Opinion by: E. Eugene Webb PhD

Every sense the October 7th invasion of Israel, President Biden has been urging President Netanyahu (Bibi) to exercise restraint and negotiate a peace deal with the Palestinians.

Now with the new Lebanon invasion and the attacks from Iran, Biden’s pressure on Netanyahu to open talks and establish a political compromise have continued with increased pressure.

As this conflict continues to swirl out of control there may be a political solution to this problem, but given the number of players, the hatred and animosity between these factions that have lasted for thousands of years, it is unlikely that such a negotiated position is in the near future.

If Biden really wanted this conflict to be over, he would simply step aside let the Israelis pursue their objectives until they meet them, while supplying them with all the military aid, support, and assistance that the United States can possibly provide.

The new Biden administration position of protecting Iran’s nuclear facilities seems to make no sense to me. It is this very nuclear capacity we fear the most. It is also this military nuclear capacity that keeps everyone on edge in the entire Middle East.

It is time for the Biden administration to get out of the business of getting all these people in a room and expecting a group hug and the solution to this problem. Too many people, too many agendas, too much hate that runs too deep.

I think a motivating part of President Biden’s position on the current Israeli conflict is he would like to leave office without a looming third World War as part of his legacy. And I certainly understand that.

But the current President, must also be thinking about the mess he may leave for his ill prepared vice president if she should win this election.

We do not need a growing open rift between the United States and Israel. It will encourage those in this country and in the Middle Eastern region to continue the pressure hoping that the United States will finally cave in and try to force Israel into a solution they neither want nor can live with.

Israel is prepared to do the heavy lifting in this war. They do not fear Iran, Iraq, or Saudi Arabia. It is time that the United States stop threatening to withhold military support which only emboldens Israel’s enemies, and to stop pushing for a multilateral agreement where Israel gives up her internal and external security.

This conflict is rapidly hurtling toward biblical proportions. There is no successful conclusion. It is quite likely that the effects of what already has been done will linger for generations.

I seriously doubt Kamala Harris can resolve this problem. Or even live with it. This is not the situation where you prosecute, the law prevails or where you expect people to do the right thing. This is a conflict based on hate so long and so deep that it defies description.

As we get ready to vote we need to remember that in this day and age of technology this conflict can quickly be brought to our own shores. Decisions affecting the lives of 10s of millions of people may ultimately have to be made in just a few seconds.

No matter who ends up being president of the United States, in the matter of Israel and the Middle East they are going to be forced into some terrible situations where the consequences and the results are catastrophic.

The next President is stepping into a situation where you cannot nod your head and giggle when there is a decision to be made. And you cannot just send a few dollars somewhere and cause it to go away.

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