Biden’s Baffling Response to Israeli Hostage Crisis

Joe Biden offered a weak response when reporters asked him outside the White House about his thoughts on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to secure a hostage deal and establish a cease-fire in Gaza. Biden, in his often-confounding manner, merely replied with a terse ‘no’. It seems he is dissatisfied with the work Netanyahu has been putting in, implying that the process isn’t progressing at Biden’s desired rate.

Biden also made an unclear statement about Middle East negotiators being ‘very close’ to a finalized agreement that would be presented to Israel and Hamas. This vague remark sounds rather optimistic considering the situation on the ground. Quite recently, the remains of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin were discovered in a tunnel underneath Rafah city. It appears Biden’s diplomatic efforts are nowhere near the claimed fruition.

Sadly, Goldberg-Polin’s funereal procession occurred in Jerusalem on Monday. He was among six hostages held captive by Hamas, whose bodies the Israeli military recovered a day prior. These tragic events sparked numerous protests and a widespread strike, aimed at pressurizing Netanyahu into accepting a deal. Despite the protests, there seems to be no concrete action from Biden’s side.

Biden told the press he’d reached out to the American hostage’s parents, continuing his tendency to focus on sentiments rather than solutions. ‘We’re not giving up. We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can,’ he stated, yet refrained from elaborating on any real strategies.

Further confusing matters, when USA TODAY sought clarity regarding Biden’s comments about Netanyahu, an unnamed US official responded with a rather hollow statement: ‘The President has been clear that Hamas is responsible for killing Hersh and the others, and Hamas leaders will pay for their crimes.’ If direct action is needed, why is Biden still giving platitudes instead of maximizing pressure on Hamas?

The official further stated that Biden wants more urgency from the Israeli government to secure the release of the rest of the hostages. Seven Americans are believed to be among the 101 hostages held by Hamas, kidnapped almost a year ago, on October 7, 2023. Israeli authorities estimate that a third of these hostages have unfortunately perished.

Upset by Biden’s lack of support, Netanyahu publicly sought forgiveness from the families of the recent victims. ‘I’m asking for your forgiveness that we didn’t manage to bring them back alive. We were very close, but we couldn’t make it,’ said Netanyahu, adding weight to the serious gravity of the situation that Biden seems to be missing.

When Biden, leaving for a Labor Day event, was questioned about his critical stance towards Netanyahu, he opted for silence instead of providing clarification. This continued avoidance questions his level of transparency and credibility, which could further add to the distress of the hostages’ families.

Biden further had a conversation with Netanyahu almost two weeks ago regarding the hostage situation. However, the communication has been cold since then, except for some isolated contacts between their respective teams. Why isn’t the negotiation process fast-tracked considering the life-threatening seriousness of the matter?

Biden made another ambiguous statement during Netanyahu’s press conference on Monday. ‘We’re still in negotiations – not with him, but with my colleagues from Qatar and Egypt,’ he said. It’s baffling that despite the situation’s urgency, Biden seems to sideline the Israeli PM while discussing ongoing negotiations.

For the past few weeks, negotiators have been liaising extensively in Cairo, in an attempt organized by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. However, Biden’s flippant comments and lack of direct interactions with Netanyahu contradict his administration’s claimed efforts.

Early Monday, Biden, alongside VP Kamala Harris, had a meeting with US national security officials in the Situation Room. As usual, they revealed little of substance about their conversation. Later in the day, rather than focusing on the crisis, Biden took a detour to Pittsburgh, campaigning for Harris.

Meanwhile, back home, Biden’s claim of being briefed about the protests in Israel and his promise to comment on them later amounted to nothing. Is this another broken promise in a line of many from his administration?

In assessing these interactions, it’s clear there’s a disconnect between the dire situation at hand and the vague, superficial approach Joe Biden and his administration seem to be taking. Their lack of substantive action and clear communication leaves us to question their real intentions and capacity to handle such a precarious situation.

This scenario is yet another reminder of Biden and Kamala Harris’s poor foreign policy acumen and their failure to rise to the occasion when gravely needed. Providing hope through action, not just words, should be the guiding principle, and unfortunately, it seems to be far from the path they’ve chosen.