The many times Biden warned Israel but did nothing to protect Palestinians

President Joe Biden issued a statement on April 4 that analysts said was his “sharpest” one about Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians in the last six months.

The supposedly harsh statement followed Israel’s targeted killing of seven aid workers belonging to the nonprofit World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza. Israeli forces bombed the WCK team when it was traveling on a relatively safe road.

The choice of words may be different from before, but that’s not the first time President Biden or a senior member of his administration has criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

The Biden administration has repeatedly issued stern-sounding statements telling Israel to desist from killing innocent civilians in Gaza. Never have these statements been followed by any acts of diplomatic support for the Palestinians though.

In fact, the United States is wont to swing more punches at the hapless Palestinians after every short burst of public sympathy.

For example, The Washington Post reported on April 4 the Biden administration approved the transfer of “thousands more bombs” to Israel on the same day an Israeli military drone killed the seven WCK aid workers, including one US citizen, in Gaza.

The United States is going to transfer more than a thousand MK82 bombs, which are unguided, low-drag general-purpose explosives. In addition, Israel is set to receive from the United States more than a thousand small-diameter bombs, which kill “more targets per sortie” because of their precision guidance and compact size.

The show of verbal outrage by the United States after the targeted killing of seven aid workers has given a fresh impetus to the view that a handful of Western lives outweigh the mass extermination of Palestinians.

Israel has killed as many as 203 aid workers in the last six months, according to the Aid Worker Security Database. In fact, it has frequently attacked even aid seekers.

The flour massacre by the Israeli forces on February 29 resulted in 112 deaths as starving Palestinians rushed to collect aid. While the State Department vowed to monitor the investigation and press for answers, Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated US support for Israel’s right to defend just three days later and pledged “unwavering commitment” to Israel’s security.

It was as early as October 16, 2023 – just a week after Israel began a full-scale war – that Biden first warned Israel against occupying Gaza, saying it would constitute a “big mistake”.

He said his administration was working to secure humanitarian corridors into Gaza to ensure Palestinians’ access to fuel and food.

Just two days later, however, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for “humanitarian pauses” to deliver lifesaving aid to millions in Gaza.

Similarly, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza on November 3, 2023, saying, “Palestinian civilians must be protected”. But the United States chose to abstain on a subsequent Security Council resolution that called for the same “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza on November 15, 2023.

In another flip-flop by the United States, Biden said on December 12, 2023, that Israel was carrying out “indiscriminate bombing of Gaza”. One day later, the White House downplayed Biden’s remarks while a State Department spokesperson said “indiscriminate” was “not an assessment that we’ve made.”

Likewise, President Biden claimed Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza was “over the top” and warned Israel against attacking the southern city of Rafah “without a plan to protect civilians” on February 15.

Five days later, the United States vetoed a second Security Council resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.

Politics at home

Biden’s “rock solid” support for the Israeli state dates back to his time in the US Senate. With a total of $4.2 million, he was the biggest recipient in the history of donations from pro-Israeli groups during his 36 years in the upper chamber of Congress.

But changing demographics seem to have pitted the 46th US President against a large section of the US population. Public polls show more Americans support humanitarian aid for Gaza rather than military aid for Israel.

A separate Gallup survey released in March found a majority of Americans disapprove of Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which marks a stark shift since last fall.

Arab American and Muslim voters have traditionally sided with the Democratic Party in the United States. Yet Biden faced considerable opposition in the Democratic primary in the state of Michigan, which has a large Muslim voting bloc.

About 100,000 Democrats cast “protest votes” by choosing “uncommitted” to show their dissatisfaction with the Biden administration.

Biden’s poor handling of the crisis in the Middle East can possibly tip the scales in favour of Republican nominee Donald Trump in the November presidential election. Fewer than one in five Democrats say they approve of Israel’s actions, down from 36 percent in November.

“Biden's seemingly one-sided support of Israel could cost him the election in 2024,” said Bishara A. Bahbah, former vice president of the US Palestinian Council.