"Israel’s choice is between defeating its enemies on the battlefield even at the cost of terrible condemnation and isolation or collapsing under pressure and losing. Israel is called to make this choice in the immediate term, and its fate stands or falls with its decision about Rafah."
"Early this week, rumors began to swirl that ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan is poised to act on these groundless complaints and issue international arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces. . .
. . ."Israel’s war is not a war of choice. It isn’t a conflict that Israel can shrug its shoulders and walk away from, or opt for a limited goal of blocking incoming strikes. This is a war for national survival. Hamas made clear the genocide it aims to achieve on Oct. 7. Its appalling cruelty to the hostages it has held captive for more than six months demonstrates still further that there is no way to fight to a draw with this jihadist terror regime. There is no “deal” to be had with Hamas leaders. The same is true of Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon. And, of course, the same is true of Iran.
"Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and their terror partners have used all the resources at their disposal to expand their capacity to annihilate Israel. They have not done this to jockey for stronger negotiating positions. They are putting everything they have into building these capacities because they really want to destroy Israel and kill the Jews. The calls for Israel’s destruction are not mere slogans. They are solid commitments.
"The good news is that Israel has the military and economic power to defeat its enemies completely. The bad news is that in their efforts, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and their other partners are not fighting alone. While the United States and other Western nations are willing to speak out against Hamas and Iran from time to time, they completely oppose Israel’s effort to defeat its enemies. Israel is permitted to defend against incoming attacks. But it is prohibited from taking decisive offensive action.
"To block Israel from winning, the United States and its partners in Europe and the United Nations are waging an unprecedented, comprehensive and ever-escalating political war against Israel. Its clear goal is to criminalize Israel’s war effort and to effectively deny the Jewish state the right to self-defense." . . .
Joe Biden Is, at Best, a Fair-Weather Friend of Israel | Opinion (Newsweek)
. . ."The first lesson of the Shoah is that Israel will defend the Jewish people in the Land of Israel as an independent, democratic country; allies are essential and friends are welcome, but Jews will no longer sit at the mercy of governments that may be friendly one day but not the next. Israel has the right and obligation to make decisions about its safety and security.
"The second lesson is that American choices that empower Israel's enemies, and that constrict the flexibility and defensive capability of Israel, ignore the first lesson and engender a rift in the relationship.
"That is exactly what has happened under Biden's presidency." . . .
Biden’s troubled Gaza strategy: ‘the US looks feckless’ (Financial Times) ..."But most importantly, Biden does not want to be seen as the president that allowed the worst massacre on the Jewish people since the Holocaust to pass without consequence, analysts say. Not only did Biden denounce the Hamas attack as “sheer evil”, but within days he was in Tel Aviv visiting Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet." . . .
"US officials do not believe that a cooler or even a more combative approach to Israel — such as the one that Barack Obama adopted during his years in the White House — would necessarily help trigger a change of heart by Israel and may, in fact, backfire. Biden administration officials say that while they have some sway with Israel, the notion that they dictate the terms of Israel’s campaign or can tell it when to stop are overblown." . . .
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