The Israeli war in Gaza became one of the biggest blows to Joe Biden’s presidency, and some of these political repercussions were inevitable, once the Palestinian resistance movement “Hamas” carried out its attack on Israeli settlements and military bases in the enclave of the Gaza Strip on October 7. / Last October.

This attack, like most untoward events in the world, was seen as a major black mark for the occupant of the White House at this time, regardless of whether any US president was able to do anything to prevent it. Moreover, this attack struck the foreign policy strategy of the Biden administration, which assumed that the file of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict could be ignored, in order to focus on other regions and files in the world.

But American strategic analyst Paul Pillar, who spent 28 years working in the American intelligence services, said in an analysis published by the American magazine “National Interest” that most of the negative repercussions of the Gaza war for President Biden were of his own making, due to his immediate and unconditional support for the Israeli Prime Minister’s government. Benjamin Netanyahu, a support that he was unable to withdraw, when Israel began to practice killing and destruction against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip in an indescribable manner.

Now Biden has become a partner in creating the largest human disaster the world has witnessed in more than half a century. All his moves to rein in Netanyahu's government also failed. He lost the support of the majority of his base in the Democratic Party, whose active support he needs in order to win a second presidential term in the upcoming elections.

One of the most important repercussions of these events was the blow to American interests, which became painfully clear as anger and resentment against the United States increased. Washington has become increasingly isolated in international diplomacy.

At the same time, Netanyahu himself faces many internal political problems. The Hamas attack shattered the image he had tried to paint for years as “Israel’s security man.” This destruction of the image was reflected in the opinion polls conducted after the Hamas attack, which showed a sharp deterioration in the popularity of the Israeli Prime Minister and his Likud party.

In order to stop this deterioration and save his political position, Netanyahu insists on continuing his disastrous war against the Gaza Strip, ignoring American appeals whether to curb its military operations, or the need for a political solution that allows the Palestinians to self-determination. Even if Netanyahu cannot restore his previous image as a “security man,” he can present himself as a “solid opponent” of any attempt to establish a Palestinian state.

As for the effects of Netanyahu’s policies on domestic American politics and their weakening of Biden’s political position, it is considered an additional bonus for Netanyahu. The Israeli Prime Minister will be happy to see Donald Trump defeat Biden in the US presidential elections scheduled for November 2024.

Pillar, who worked as an official in charge of the Near East and South Asia file at the US National Intelligence Council, says that although Biden bowed before Netanyahu to show support for an Israeli, this bow does not compare to the gifts that former President Trump gave to Israel, including moving the US embassy in Israel to occupied Jerusalem, recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, and presenting a peace plan that makes the Palestinians permanently subject to Israel instead of granting them their independent state.

Although the Democratic president embodies the commitment of the Democratic and Republican parties to defending Israel, the Republican Party has become, as former American peace negotiator Aaron David Miller described it, the party of “Israel, whether it is right or wrong.” The largest alliance now is not between the United States and Israel, but rather an alliance between the Republican Party and the Israeli right currently participating in Netanyahu’s government.

Under these circumstances, Biden appears vulnerable to political punishment. Netanyahu has a long record of embarrassing and destroying Biden. Hours after US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel in 2010, and his declaration of unconditional American support for Israel's security, the Israeli government led by Netanyahu at the time announced the construction of more settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.

After Biden became president of the United States in 2021, Netanyahu falsely claimed, based on a misleading video, that Biden fell asleep during a meeting with then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

In many ways, Biden embodies an old American political model. In this context, it was instinctive for him to resort to the traditional default position of American politicians for staying out of trouble, which is to declare that he loves Israel more than a political rival.

In light of the atrocities committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip, this hypothetical position does not serve Biden well. If Biden loses the upcoming elections, there will be many reasons for this, but one of these reasons was his embrace of Netanyahu, who does not like American interests, nor Biden’s political perceptions.

Source: Sama News +DPA