Is Joe Biden as “a reliable and honorable ally” of Israel ?
Moshe Phillips
Chairman of Americans For A Safe Israel/AFSI. Established more than fifty years ago, AFSI is on the front lines of pro-Israel activism.
I have a letter?to?the Editor in the new issue of the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs. No link is available but here's the text:
To?the Editor,
Jeffrey Herf (Letters, XV:1) characterizers?President?Joe Biden?as?“a reliable?and?honorable ally” of Israel. While we all hope that will turn out?to?be true, I wonder if Prof. Herf might be jumping the gun a little,?and?engaging?more?in wishful thinking than an assessment of Mr. Biden’s actual record?as?president. After all, Mr. Biden has been?president?for?only eight months. I think most historians would agree that?more?than eight months are needed?to?reach a verdict?on?such a question.
Moreover, during those eight months,?President?Biden has taken a number of steps which many friends of Israel find troubling, including:
—?Pressuring Israel?to?end its defensive strikes against Hamas after just six days, leaving most of the Gaza terror tunnels, weapons storehouses,?and?rocket launcher sites intact.
— Declining?to?endorse U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights?as?Israeli territory.
— Condemning Israel?for?dismantling the homes of Palestinian terrorists, even though Israel’s left-leaning High Court has repeatedly supported such action?as?a deterrent?to?terrorism.
— Sending $360-million in aid?to?the Palestinian Arabs, even though U.S. law prohibits any aid?to?the Palestinian Authority until it stops paying salaries?to?terrorists. (The aid?is?being sent through non-PA agencies, but obviously the money?is?fungible—it will relieve the PA of having?to?pay those bills.)
— Sending a large portion of that aid?to?UNRWA, even though multiple studies have found that textbooks used in UNRWA schools include antisemitic?and?pro-terrorist material.
Supporters of?President?Biden may point?to?his generally pro-Israel voting record when?he?was in the Senate. Critics will point?to?his eight years?as?vice?president?in one of the most unfriendly (to?Israel) administrations ever. But I say it’s?more?important?to?judge?him?on?what?he?actually?does?as?president—and?so?far,?there?is?cause?for?concern.
Sincerely,
Moshe Phillips