Biden's high-stakes Israel visit has potential to define his presidency

[justaprogressive]

Biden’s trip follows an invitation from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu – and followed careful deliberation with his national security and intelligence advisers.

In its importance and profile, the visit is being compared to the president’s visit to Kyiv last February, where he made a surprise appearance on the first anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine to show solidarity with the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

He has the humane mission of soothing a society deep in mourning from the effects of the devastating 7 October onslaught, which has shaken Israelis’ faith in their country’s vaunted security capacities.

At the same time, having affirmed the Jewish state’s right to self-defence in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, he has the more complicated assignment of talking Netanyahu and his newly formed security cabinet out of a rushed ground invasion that US officials believe could be both intractable and so costly in terms of Palestinian lives that international sympathy would quickly drain away from Israel.

[link:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/oct/17/joe-biden-israel-visit-hamas-attack|

[LetMyPeopleVote]

1. President Biden gave a truly historic speech

Link to tweet

[Grimelle]

2. I am disappointed he went

Being seen with Bibi cannot be a good look.
I am also aware that Israel can do no wrong.
Sigh!