President Biden has been steadfast in his support of Israel in its hour of greatest need in his remarks last week in the White House, in Tel Aviv yesterday and tonight with a rare Oval Office address.
The President has been consistent in calling Hamas' actions "pure unadulterated evil" while praising the courage and resilience of Israelis.
Most importantly of all, President Biden conveys a sympathy towards Israel that both former Presidents Trump and Obama were utterly incapable of expressing.
While it is true that Trump moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, recognized the sovereignty of the Golan Heights and ushered in the Abraham Accords, as with everything else he does, such acts are merely transactions for which he expects undivided and unquestioning loyalty in return. Trump is so grievously offended that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would follow diplomatic protocol and congratulate Joe Biden on his victory that he would publicly excoriate both Netanyahu, members of his cabinet while claiming Israel had let America down and, for good measure, praising Hezbollah. Trump thinks of himself and only himself. Basic human decency doesn't enter into the equation.
With that said, I don't think Barack Obama would have been capable of standing with Israel in the way Biden has done so. Although Biden was Obama's number two, the two Democrats have a decidedly different approach. Obama openly disdained Netanyahu and deliberately misrepresented his position on settlements. Given the fact that Bibi is back in office there is little reason to believe that an attack as heinous as this one would have thawed relations between the two leaders. Indeed, it could have all been much worse if not for Biden (who having known Netanyahu for decades) was able to bridge the gap, mend fences and essentially be the good cop.
Of course, one could make the case that Obama's ire was directed at Bibi rather than Israel. However, even his staunchest supporters admit was at best ambivalent and disconnected where it concerned the Jewish State. It must also be remembered that when an Islamic terrorist attacked a Jewish grocery store in Paris in January 2015, Obama could not bring himself to characterize the attack as anti-Semitic instead choosing to characterize is at random even though the perpetrator explicitly stated he was targeting Jews and went on an anti-Semitic rant as he killed. President Biden, by contrast, has not had any such hesitation. Back in June, President Biden initiated a National Strategy to Counter Anti-Semitism.
My point about Obama is that if Hamas had attacked Israel while he was President, while I think he would have condemned the attacks I don't see him reacting with the compassion, reassurance and warmth which President Biden has conveyed.
The long and the short of it is as horrific as Hamas' inhumanity has been, President Biden has shown himself to be the right man for the right moment.
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