The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar at the hands of Israeli Defense forces in October exposed a glaring weakness of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy and a significant problem for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
Sinwar was the architect of the 7 October, 2023, attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 innocent civilians, including dozens of children, and resulted in Palestinian terrorists taking over 240 hostages, some of whom were later brutally murdered in the tunnels under Gaza.
To her credit, Harris welcomed Sinwar’s death, saying, “The United States, Israel, and the entire world are better off as a result. Sinwar was responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent people, including the victims of October 7 and hostages killed in Gaza.”
Sinwar’s elimination, however, would not have been possible if Israel had heeded Harris and the Biden White House’s stated advice.
Sinwar was killed by a routine Israeli patrol in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. This is the same Rafah that Vice President Kamala Harris had publicly urged the Israeli Defense Forces not to enter earlier this year, saying:
“We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake. Let me tell you something: I have studied the maps. There’s nowhere for those folks to go. And we’re looking at about a million and a half people in Rafah who are there because they were told to go there, most of them. And so we’ve been very clear that it would be a mistake to move into Rafah with any type of military operation.”
In fact, the IDF was able to evacuate Rafah in several days before beginning military operations there against Hamas. Biden also warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to enter Rafah.
Despite these blandishments, the Biden administration took no steps that would have actually prevented Israel from moving into Rafah.
Similarly, the humanitarian crisis inside the Gaza enclave has provoked public criticism of Israel from the Biden White House. In mid-October, Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote to their Israeli counterparts threatening a cut-off of US military assistance if Israel did not allow more aid deliveries to Gaza. Notably, this cutoff wouldn’t occur for a month, placing it several days after the 5 November election in the United States. Again: criticism without any real steps to change the situation.
In southern Lebanon, Israel has ignored Biden-Harris calls for restraint and attacked Hezbollah at will, also without consequences from Washington. This begs the question: why is the Biden-Harris administration making statements it won’t back up?
The most obvious answer is the looming election. Michigan is a swing state and has over 300,000 voters of Middle East ancestry. While this group has many interests and diverse origins, it is not unreasonable to think that they would generally welcome a less pro-Israel US policy in the Middle East. The administration – and Harris in particular – are trying to have it both ways: standing with Israel while also pushing for a ceasefire that would benefit Israel’s antagonists.
Israel won’t agree to a permanent ceasefire until the threat from Hamas is eliminated and all hostages are returned. The White House knows this, yet the administration persists in its double messaging.
At the Democratic convention in Chicago, Harris said: “…what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking. President Biden and I are working to end this war such that - Israel is secure - the hostages are released - the suffering in Gaza ends - and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity.”
It isn’t working. Voters and activists see that again and again, the administration won’t back up its words with actions.
Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate and occasional presidential candidate of Lebanese ancestry and he is furious with the administration’s contradictory Middle East statements. He tweeted last month: "There are two million Lebanese Americans in the US with relatives over there. They are in swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. If enough of them boycott the Lebanon-destroying Biden/Harris in November, the Democrats can pay dearly for their 'iron bond' with the genocidal Israeli government. Wake up Bibi Biden! Strike Netanyahu's chains around you! The Trumpsters are coming!"
Muslim leaders in Michigan are also rejecting the Biden-Harris Gaza two-step. Just days ago, the Muslim mayors of two medium-sized Michigan cities, Dearborn Heights and Hamtramack, endorsed Trump.
If Harris loses next week, particularly in the key battleground state of Michigan, the hamstrung Biden-Harris policy in the Middle East could be the cause.
