A tentative cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is currently holding in Gaza while tensions are high run in the region. Hamas stood on the ruins of a bombed building earlier today to declare victory, while the Biden administration is already seeking to take credit for the halt in hostilities. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit the area on Tuesday for a photo-op.
Meanwhile, details are coming out about exactly what Biden demanded of Israel, and it will likely infuriate you.
Let’s take all three of these things, because they only get more and more absurd as we go. In regards to the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah, those were Jewish-owned properties that Palestinians had been squatting on for decades, refusing to pay restitution. The cases were adjudicated through the courts over many years. Why should Israel simply abscond from lawful evictions because it makes terrorists mad?
Further, how is Israel supposed to lower tensions on the Temple Mount when Palestinians keep attacking Jews who go there, using the mosque as a staging area? The Temple Mount is already locked down in the sense that Jews aren’t even allowed to pray there. How much more appeasement is necessary? Of course, we know the answer to that. Hamas wants Israel wiped off the face of the map. They don’t care about “lowered tensions.”
Both of those demands are a resetting of the status quo we saw under the Obama administration, which led nowhere and only caused more violence and suffering. Donald Trump had successfully marginalized Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, leading to breakthrough peace deals between Israel and Arab nations. That’s all getting blown up now, in favor of yet more appeasement that will lead nowhere.
Yet, it’s the last demand that should really rub you the wrong way. Biden asked that Jews no longer celebrate Jerusalem Flag day, a holiday where Jews take the streets to celebrate their nation. Imagine if another country demanded we stopped celebrating the Fourth of July or Memorial Day, in exchange for them not bombing us. How well would that go over?
The entire thing is insane and what the Biden administration is doing is going to lead to worse outcomes than had they just stayed out of it. Hamas does not want peace, nor do they care about cease-fires.
What they wanted from all this was favorable press to help their cause and an excuse to kill Jews. Biden and his media allies handed them that on a silver platter, and instead of making serious demands of the Palestinians in return, it’s Israel that gets read the riot act. Some ally we are.