(TheProudRepublic.com) – In a hypocritical move and intending to gain more support as the presidential elections are around the corner, Joe Biden is dramatically shifting his stance regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
For the first time since the war began in early October, the U.S. failed to veto a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that advocated for a six-week “immediate” ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, contingent upon the release of hostages in Gaza.
This change in the Biden administration’s approach is attributed to vocal demands from his electoral base, protesters’ uproar, and internal discord within the White House.
Initially, in the wake of the Hamas assaults on Israel on October 7 — which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 civilians — the Biden administration supported Israel’s retaliatory measures in Gaza.
Early pleas from pro-Palestinian advocates for a ceasefire were dismissed by the administration while citing concerns that it would merely empower Hamas to recuperate.
“Any ceasefire would give Hamas the ability to rest, to refit, and to get ready to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters during a press briefing in mid-October.
However, due to mounting pressures from activist groups, demonstrators, and his own voting base, Biden began to alter his position.
“We came to the determination that this Security Council resolution… called for two things that we support: a ceasefire and the release of hostages together. And so that’s why we abstained from the resolution. We do believe that it carries weight and should be implemented.”
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a defense think tank based in Washington, D.C., had anticipated this shift. He criticized the Biden administration for succumbing to Hamas’s disinformation campaign, which exaggerated the casualty figures to manipulate public perception.
Furthermore, Executive Director of Polaris National Security and former State Department official Gabriel Noronha criticized the administration for a “political” decision that inadvertently strengthened Hamas’s position by signaling a desire for the conflict’s cessation.
This policy revision occurred amidst widespread pro-Palestinian protests nationwide, which urged Biden to advocate for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Biden’s initial backing of Israel led to a notable decline in his polling among the Democratic voting base.
The Biden administration’s recent decision to support the UN ceasefire resolution has been acclaimed by pro-Palestinian advocates, though they continue to demand further actions from Biden.
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