How Biden Enabled Israel’s Aggression Toward Gaza—and Iran

The article details how the Biden administration's approach to Israel's actions in Gaza and towards Iran created a "moral hazard," according to Philip Gordon, national-security adviser to Vice-President Kamala Harris. Israel, for the first time, blocked the Red Cross from accessing Palestinian detainees from Gaza and the West Bank after October 7th, leading to allegations of torture from released individuals. Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, urged President Biden to "bring about an immediate change" in Israel's conduct and to withhold weapons that could be used in densely populated areas, citing U.S. laws against transferring weapons for war crimes. Despite private warnings from Biden not to provoke Iran, Israel repeatedly conducted strikes in Syria, Lebanon, and Tehran without meaningful U.S. warning, including the assassination of Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, just two days after a ceasefire call. The U.S. subsequently defended Israel against Iranian counterstrikes. Biden's advisers debated withholding weapons to restrain Israel but ultimately deferred, hoping for a hostage release and ceasefire deal. Jake Sullivan, Biden's former national-security adviser, admitted, "we should have put more pressure on Israel to take a different approach." The article also notes Israel's revised rules of engagement allowing strikes risking more civilian deaths and the targeting of civilian structures in Gaza, as well as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's order for a "complete siege" on Gaza, blocking essential supplies.