On October 10, 2023, just three days after the Hamas massacre and the outbreak of the war in Gaza, US President Joe Biden delivered a seminal speech denouncing the atrocities, expressing heartfelt sympathy with Israel and the Jewish people, and vowing to continue supporting the Jewish state.
Biden’s speech will be remembered for the word “Don’t” which he addressed to any country, organization, or person considering taking advantage of the situation. This warning was first and foremost to Iran and its proxies and was accompanied by sending naval forces to the Eastern Mediterranean to deter any entity from joining the war against Israel.
However, a careful reading of Washington’s messages during the ensuing conflict implies that some of the “Don’t” messages were also aimed at Israel. This began in Biden’s October 10 speech, which included a subtle reference to the laws of war, thus saying “Don’t” to Israel in reference to using its military might in ways that would result in many civilian casualties. Yet, given the circumstances, with terrorists utilizing residential areas, hospitals, and schools as command posts, launching sites for their rockets, and warehouses for their stockpiles of ammunition, how could Israel fight Hamas without risking civilian lives? No other solution was proffered, in Biden’s speech or elsewhere.
From November onwards, the Biden administration has steadily increased its criticism of Israel for supposedly not paying enough attention to the evolving “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza. President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and others have kept on calling for a ceasefire. By doing so, they have been signaling to Israel: “Don’t topple the Hamas regime” – since a ceasefire would have surely enabled Hamas to keep its grip over Gaza.
As the IDF continued its drive to crash Hamas forces in Gaza City and Khan Yunes, Biden came up with another “Don’t,” this time, “Don’t go into Rafah.” Israel wasted three months trying to accommodate this “Don’t” until it could wait no longer. Now that the IDF is operating in Rafah, we know what a terrible mistake it would have been not to enter this wasp’s nest of terror, hiding dozens of tunnels that served for years to supply Hamas with weapons and ammunition.
RECENTLY, THE slogan “all eyes on Rafah” shifted to “all eyes on the North” and once again, the Biden administration had a “Don’t” for Israel. This time it came from Blinken, who met on Thursday with Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, telling them to avoid further escalation with Hezbollah in order to allow the return of Lebanese and Israeli citizens to their homes. Thus, he was telling Israel not to go to war with in Lebanon despite fully it being justified given Hezbollah’s continued aggression and violation of Israel’s sovereignty. And, as the icing on the cake, Blinken’s statement also implies a false symmetry between the parties as if they are both responsible for the war of attrition war that Hezbollah launched against Israel on October 8. How else can Israel eliminate the threat on its northern border and secure the safe return of its citizens to their homes in the North? By waiting eight more months for an illusionary diplomatic solution that is nowhere to be seen? Or perhaps by convincing its citizens that the guys looking at them through binoculars from across the border are peace-loving activists?
What should Israel do regarding Biden's recommendations?
The United States has been and continues to be a friend of Israel, as is President Biden. But US and Israeli interests are not necessarily identical. In fact, they are quite different. Hence, while the Jewish state must always listen carefully and respectfully to its American friends and try its best to align itself with American policies and strategies, at the end of the day, Israel must do what is best for Israel.
The writer is a professor and former executive vice president of the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. An expert in management science, he is on the boards of several Israeli companies and nonprofit organizations.