In Israel, Joe Biden supports his ally and sets red lines

Correspondent in Israel

Joe Biden's trip to a Middle East on the verge of explosion was aimed at showing America's support for Israel, while already trying to outline the contours of a way out of the crisis. This is why it had two stages: after Tel Aviv, Amman, in Jordan. The American president was to meet Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, as well as King Abdullah of Jordan, and the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. The deadly explosion that occurred Tuesday evening at al-Ahli hospital in Gaza changed the situation.

Israeli bomb or failed rocket attack by Islamic jihad? The causes of this tragedy have not yet been determined, but several hundred people died, which led to the cancellation of the Amman meeting. In the absence of a meeting with the Arab partners of the Jewish state, Joe Biden had to make a lightning visit on one leg, during which it appeared that American support for Israel would not come without conditions. Starting with the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip “as quickly as possible”, declared the American president.

On Wednesday, at 10 a.m., he was greeted as he exited Air Force One, on the tarmac of Ben-Gurion Airport, by the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, and the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. They went together to an Israeli army base, in the heart of Tel Aviv, where Joe Biden met members of the Israeli War Council. During this meeting, the American president gave credence to the Israeli version of the al-Ahli tragedy: the army blames its adversary for this carnage.

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“Following the Hamas terrorist attack, which was brutal, inhumane, unimaginable, this council came together, strong and united,” the American president then declared. I want you to know that you are not alone. As I have already emphasized, we will continue to support Israel as you work to defend your people. We will continue to work with you and regional partners to protect innocent civilians from further tragedies.”

Three days after the Hamas attack, the American president had already affirmed his full support for Israel. Since then, the United States has begun arms deliveries, 2,000 marines are on war footing, and two American aircraft carriers are cruising in the Eastern Mediterranean. Their presence gives more weight to Joe Biden's speech. This is a very clear message to Israel's enemies in the region, starting with Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran.

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As Nahum Barnea, columnist for the Yedioth Ahronot newspaper, points out, such solid aid recalls, once again, the time of the Yom Kippur War, fifty years ago, when Israel, taken by surprise by the Egyptian army , had wavered. But it won't be free. In the days following the Hamas aggression, the Israeli war machine was put into place. The ground operation is in preparation. “America must set the limits,” believes the commentator. Israel will not launch a proactive attack in the North and it will not occupy the Gaza Strip.” On Tuesday evening, Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, attended the entire Israeli Security Council, much of which was reportedly held in English.

More than proof of American involvement in resolving the crisis, the commentator sees it as a sign of distrust: “Never, in its entire history, has Israel experienced such tight American supervision.” According to him, it is above all a question of ensuring that the Israeli government does not stray from the lines set by the United States. As a sign of goodwill, as Joe Biden had firmly invited, Israel announced that it would authorize the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, on the condition that Hamas does not benefit from it.

Despite its support for the State of Israel, the American Administration, however, makes little secret of its lack of confidence in Netanyahu's government. On Wednesday, the American president urged Israel not to repeat American “mistakes” after September 11. At the time, the invasion of Iraq, the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and the suppression of his entire administration had plunged the country into anarchy from which it is still struggling to emerge. Israel, which is committed to destroying Hamas in the Gaza Strip, could create a similar situation there, in the absence of a solution that satisfies all players in the region. The great American ally also came to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to remind Israel of its obligations.