Joe Biden Used to Care About Israel Independence Day . . . What Changed?
Things sure do change fast for Joe Biden and the folks in his administration, especially when it comes to Israel.
In 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris gave the keynote speech for Israel’s Independence Day celebration. One year later, the Biden administration is nowhere to be found.
Now wait a minute . . . can we really expect the White House to show up every time a major ally has an important holiday or national celebration? Not always, but we should be able to count on the Executive Branch to prioritize good relationships with our best friends when terrorists are trying to wipe them off the Earth and the United Nations is backing the terrorists.
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Instead, Biden and Harris are trying to keep the same violent thugs who rampaged across college campuses happy. Apparently the thug vote is more important than supporting the only democracy in the Middle East. And we know that’s the case, because Biden used to “love” Israel.
That’s right. In 2015, as he opened his remarks at that year’s celebration, then-Vice President Biden proudly boasted “everyone knows I love Israel.” And nothing about the giving the speech was all that extraordinary. The Obama Administration made a point of releasing statements of support commemorating Israeli independence and sending VIPs like Biden and then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice to participate in the annual event.
And the Biden White House continued the practice. In 2022, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke while now-President Biden sent well-wishes to the Israeli people through a video. He called the US ties to Israel “unbreakable.” He said he was “proud to stand with Israel today and always.” Then, in 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris was the keynote speaker.
Did Biden Forget About Israel?
But this year, it’s a different story. No major press releases from the White House briefing room. No senior administration staff giving speeches. Instead, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Caucus chair Pete Aguilar delivered keynote remarks, and senior officials opted to attend a White House state dinner honoring the President of Kenya.
The only recognition of Israel’s Independence Day by the administration came in a letter from Biden to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
So what happened, are the American people supporting Hamas terrorists over our Israeli allies? Not hardly – polls show 80% of registered voters support Israel in its war in Gaza despite the chaos from pro-Hamas riots on college campuses. Plus, after affirming Congress’s support for Israel, Speaker Johnson formally invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress.
What has happened is pro-Hamas activists in Michigan organized over 100,000 people to vote “uncommitted” in the state’s Democratic primary. The Biden campaign got really nervous about losing ground in a key swing state.
That’s why you’ve seen the administration snub a country Biden used to “love.” Back in March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed for a ceasefire by the Israel Defense Forces citing debunked claims by foreign officials blaming Israel for famine conditions in Gaza. As House Republicans scrambled to pass an aid package for Israel’s fight against Hamas, the Biden Administration played politics by pledging to oppose the bill unless it included additional spending on Ukraine and Taiwan. Finally, just a week before the Israeli independence celebration, the Biden administration paused shipments of arms for Israel’s military operations.
America Doesn’t Share Biden’s Disdain
But the average American sees things much differently. Polling has found that most Americans have a lot of sympathy for both the innocent Israeli and Palestinian people caught in the conflict. At the same time, they believe Israel is justified in its response after the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023.
That’s because everyday Americans know what the White House doesn’t: appeasing terrorists is bad politics and bad policy.