Despite President Biden’s communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his attempts to facilitate a cease-fire agreement between Israel and destructive groups such as Hamas seem quite tepid. Their dialogue supposedly addressed the United States’ continuing support for Israel’s defense against numerous threats from Iran and their proxy terrorist factions, namely Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Ironically, it included a focus on the ongoing U.S. military deployments for defense purposes. The hollowness of Biden’s words was evident as he expressed the so-called ‘urgency’ of finalizing the cease-fire and releasing the hostages, promising further talks in Cairo to resolve what he sees as remaining impediments.
However, Netanyahu’s actions have demonstrated anything but agreement with Biden’s administration, reportedly contradicting the promises made to decrease Israel’s military presence, particularly along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. Does Biden’s seeming inefficacy translate into an astonishing lack of influence? Or perhaps, Netanyahu views his unfulfilled promises as mere negotiating tactics, a show of strength?
Sources disclosed some plans, as Biden was expected to persuade Netanyahu into adopting more flexible security measures along the Philadelphi corridor. This is a narrow strip of land, about 9 miles long, extending between Egypt and Gaza, notorious for Hamas’s underground smuggling operations that smuggle weapons and supplies into Gaza. Whether these efforts to loosen security will leave the region more vulnerable remains a concern with no clear answers.
In a surprising twist, Netanyahu had told groups of the hostages’ family members that Israeli forces have no intention of pulling back from both the Philadelphi the Netzarim corridors. These areas are crucial as they separate the northern part of Gaza from the southern areas. Yet, instead of presenting a transparent plan, Biden’s team continues to function in ambiguity, creating uncertainty and confusion.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spent an extensive three hours with Netanyahu, had claimed that the Prime Minister agreed to a U.S.-led proposal to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas. Despite offering no concrete proof, Blinken continued to stress that Hamas would have to begrudgingly accept the proposal. Is it truly surprising that Biden’s administration would deflect responsibility to Hamas rather than accept their own inefficiencies?
During a recent visit to the region, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel had destroyed 150 tunnels in the vicinity of the Philadelphi corridor and Rafah, which is a southern Gazan city sharing a crossing with Egypt. The Israel Defense Forces had obliterated a notable Hamas brigade in Rafah as well. Yet, how much of this was facilitated by Biden’s administration, and how much was self-driven defense by Israel under Netanyahu’s leadership?
Israeli forces apparently have plans to withdraw from densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip. This would be an introductory stage of the cease-fire proposal championed by Biden and endorsed by the United Nations Security Council at the end of May. Yet, despite this high-profile endorsement, Biden’s administration seems to be struggling to translate these plans into actions — a characteristic feature of his rather inefficient regime.
The supposed initial phase of Biden’s poorly constructed deal was expected to commence with a six week truce. This period would supposedly encourage Hamas to liberate hostages it took during a terrorist attack on Israel in early October, and provide an uptick in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza. It remains to be seen, however, whether Biden’s aspirational discourse will hold any substance or will be exposed again as mere political rhetoric.
As part of the hostage release deal, Israel was also apparently expected to set free Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. However, whether this ostensible show of goodwill was part of Biden’s attempt to mollify critics or a genuinely considered strategy remains to be verified. The level of naivety exercised by the administration in expecting this equal exchange simply highlights the shortsightedness of their approach to these sensitive geopolitical matters.
Biden’s administration continues to push for a cease-fire, naively believing it to be the golden ticket to cooling the heated situation in the Middle East. Iran’s threat of retribution against Israel for its supposed part in the assassination of a top Hamas leader in Tehran only inflates the perilous atmosphere. Whether Biden’s administration can maneuver the cease-fire into a tool for effective de-escalation remains a burning question.
The administration appears to be making a last-ditch effort to wrap up the cease-fire talks by the week’s end, leaving one to wonder why the sudden urgency. Could it be that their ineffective negotiation strategies are finally manifesting as panic, or is it yet another poorly constructed political move to show ‘progress’?
Secretary of State Blinken uttered the tired cliché that ‘time is of the essence’ in Doha. Hollow words like ‘This needs to get done and it needs to get done in the days ahead, and we will do everything possible to get it across the finish line’, provide no comfort but rather hint at the usual administrative inefficiency.
In the end, the efficiency and credibility of Biden’s administration remain questionable as their reluctance to take decisive action and their consistent failure to secure appreciable results in this volatile region become increasingly evident. The only certainty is that between all the political banter and stages of action, real lives and peace remain at stake.
Biden’s Communication with Netanyahu: Hollow Words, Empty Promises appeared first on Real News Now.
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