Since when did the
first lady dictate US policy on Israel, or anything? Our president lies like a rug to please his audience, so it’s tricky to parse the news that he told guests at this week’s
White House Ramadan dinner that the first lady has told him that Israel’s war on Hamas “has got to stop.” We don’t doubt he announced that, though exact accounts vary slightly: “Stop it. Stop it now,” were the Joe-said-Jill-said words, recalled a different attendee. And the White House is backing that up, insisting (as it must) that the first couple see eye-to-eye while also stating: “Just like the president, the First Lady is heartbroken over the attacks on aid workers and the on-going loss of innocent lives in
Gaza.” President Biden plainly dropped the anecdote to deepen the impression that he really means his much-advertised threats to Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu that he’ll cut off aid to Israel if it doesn’t “do more” to protect and get relief to civilians in Gaza. Of course, his “pro-Palestine” critics have every reason to think all this, including his decision against vetoing that “cease-fire now!” UN resolution the other week, is mostly a ploy. Even though the president’s echoing of pro-Hamas propaganda plainly harms Israel’s cause, and helps explain the polls showing US public support for Israel to be dropping. Since the prez cares most about his own standing, it’s entirely possible he privately has zero problems with Israel’s conduct (which in fact is exemplary) but thinks he can make himself look better by pretending otherwise. Get the most important developments in the region, globally and locally. Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Never miss a story. On the other hand, it could mean that his wife really is pushing him to go wobbly. After all, Jill is broadly seen as to Joe’s left: The “doctor” in “Dr. Jill Biden” is an education degree, after all — generally associated with lefty views, since right-of-center folks find it hard to suffer the claptrap that graduate “education” programs push in lieu of any substance. Which raises the question of how much influence Jill, a spry 72, has over Joe, 81 and visibly faltering. Especially if Jill is reinforcing the doubtless-craven urgings of the White House staff. Maybe some future tell-all on the Biden White House will clear things up; for now the only bottom line we see here is that the president’s words add up to one more reason the nation is better off voting him out of office come November.