Hamas’s barbaric Oct. 7 massacre was not only the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, but also the worst terrorist attack on Americans since 9/11. Around 30 Americans were killed and 10 taken hostage. It is believed that some eight Americans remain captive in Gaza.
The policies of the Israeli government and the Biden administration are theoretically aligned regarding the need to destroy Hamas and return all the hostages. In reality, however, the administration’s policies are prioritizing the safety of Gaza civilians over Israel’s ability to rescue the hostages—including the Americans—and destroy Hamas.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin went so far as to say, “In this kind of a fight, the center of gravity is the civilian population. … So, I have repeatedly made clear to Israel’s leaders that protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative.”
Ironically, the Biden administration’s policies are not even protecting Gaza’s civilians, as they seek to keep those civilians in Gaza even though it’s a war zone. It’s obvious that the best policy for all concerned would be to set up a refuge for Gazans in Egypt. Even though doing so would save the lives of both civilians and Israeli soldiers, and help in rescuing the hostages, the administration opposes the idea. In fact, Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently visited Israel and told its leaders that it should not fight in southern Gaza as it has in the north, where Israel called on Gazans to leave the combat area.
The question is, why?
The answer is that the Biden administration is prioritizing above all else its absurd idea of establishing a Palestinian Arab state run by the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. It is doing so despite the fact that precisely this was tried in 2005, eventually leading to the Oct. 7 massacre and the current war. Moreover, polls show that 75% of Gaza civilians support Hamas and some even partook in the Oct. 7 massacre. Others are holding and torturing hostages.
The Palestinian Arabs have historically shown that no amount of land will ever be enough for them. They cannot and will not accept a Jewish state within any borders. They could not be more open about this. The Hamas Covenant calls for Israel’s destruction. The 1964 PLO Covenant even goes so far as to state in Article 24 that the PLO makes no claim to the West Bank (Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem) or Gaza, but only to the territory of Israel proper. Clearly, the intent of both groups is to eliminate the Jewish state, not build a Palestinian one.
The P.A., which the Biden administration wants to install as the government of a sovereign state, is the successor of the PLO. P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas financed the Munich Olympics massacre, is a Holocaust denier and financially rewards terrorists who murder Jews, including the Oct. 7 terrorists.
Unfortunately, the administration’s misguided policies play into Hamas’s hands and make it harder for Israel to win this war and rescue the hostages. They will lead to more civilian casualties. Clearly, by trying to pursue “moral” policies, the administration is pressuring Israel to go down an immoral road.