This is the second installment of a two-part series on how President Joe Biden’s administration has expanded its unequivocal support for Israel. To read the first part, click here.
Washington DC – “That’s the price you pay for waging a war.”
This was stated by Joe Biden at the end of October, when the US president was asked about civilian casualties in the war-stricken Gaza Strip.
Thousands of Palestinians have already been killed in Israel’s bombardment of the besieged enclave and United Nations officials are calling for an immediate ceasefire amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
Yet instead of calling on Israel to show more restraint, Biden – a committed supporter of Israel – instead questioned the death toll in Gaza. “I have no idea that the Palestinians are telling the truth about the number of people killed,” he said on October 25.
The exchange is just one of several episodes since the war began on Oct. 7 that observers say have exposed an unprecedented level of U.S. diplomatic and military support for Israel.
The two countries have enjoyed close ties for decades under Democratic and Republican presidents, and the United States sends Israel at least $3.8 billion in military aid each year.
But anger over U.S. foreign policy has reached a fever pitch amid the Gaza war, as the Biden administration pushes to increase arms sales and aid to Israel, despite serious rights concerns human rights linked to his military campaign.
More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, with UN experts warning of the risk of famine and genocide.
So what explains Biden’s current position? Tel Aviv Tribune interviewed more than a dozen experts, rights advocates and former US officials about the many factors behind Biden’s current actions and his “unwavering” support for Israel.
“I don’t think there is a short answer to the question: ‘Why does Israel continue to enjoy exceptionalism in American foreign policy?’” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), a think tank. reservoir in Washington, DC.
“There is an answer to all of the above.”
In this second installment of a two-part series, we examine how history, domestic politics, and U.S. strategy in the Middle East are influencing the Biden administration’s policies. In part one, we explore Biden’s personal and professional ties to Israel and how his Gaza war policy could affect his political future.
“It’s very deep-rooted,” Jarrar said of ties between the United States and Israel.
Israel, he said, has basically built “a very well-oiled machine” – one that can withstand domestic and international pressure, even amid the bloodshed in Gaza.