How much power does the U.S. have to influence Israel's war on Hamas?
“The 360” shows you diverse perspectives on the day’s top stories and debates.
What’s happening
During a brief trip to Israel on Wednesday, President Biden expressed America’s firm support of Israel in its war against Hamas while also cautioning Israel against being “consumed” by rage as it pursues justice for the 1,300 of its citizens “slaughtered” by Hamas gunmen in surprise terror attacks two weeks ago.
He doubled down on that message in a primetime address to Americans the following day, pledging to back Israel while also saying that the “humanity of innocent Palestinians” cannot be ignored and insisting that Israel “operate by the rules of war” as it seeks to destroy Hamas.
The president’s comments came amid mounting criticism of Israel’s siege of Gaza, which has been cut off from water and power while being bombarded by airstrikes that are estimated to have killed thousands.
Biden announced Wednesday that he had secured an agreement for Israel to allow some humanitarian aid into Gaza. He has also asked Congress to approve a massive foreign aid package that includes $14 billion to “sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge.”
Why there’s debate
Biden asserted Thursday night that “American leadership is what holds the world together.” But for all of the debate over what he should be saying, it’s unclear how much leverage the U.S. actually has to influence the course of the war, regardless of the president’s message.
Many experts believe Israel’s heavy reliance on American weapons and diplomatic support gives the Biden administration enough power to at least limit civilian casualties and create room for more humanitarian support for innocent people in Gaza — power Biden’s critics say he’s refused to use up to this point.
Skeptics argue that nothing the president could say or do at this moment will do anything to temper Israeli leadership’s desire to devastate Hamas with overwhelming force. There’s also a risk, they add, that U.S. condemnation of Israel’s actions could make it harder to broker a permanent resolution to the question of Palestinian statehood after the current war subsides.
What’s next
Despite Biden’s calls for restraint, Israeli forces appear to be primed to launch a massive ground campaign into the area in the coming days.
Perspectives
U.S. influence is limited but could still be critical
“Israel is facing its own dilemma. To retain the much-needed American support, it must accommodate US requests and even demands. But Israel also must win a war. ... To win the war without American support would be much more difficult and much more costly. To lose the war while retaining American support would be of no value.” — Shmuel Rosner, CNN
Nothing will convince Israel to alter its mission
“I have seen some criticism that the hidden purpose of the trip is for Biden to hug Israel close so that he can stay its hand, or at least slow it. I doubt it. ... Biden gets the big thing right. ... No Israeli leader can ever allow a Palestinian state to exist if a group like Hamas has even the whisper of a chance of gaining power.” — Bret Stephens, New York Times
The U.S. has the power to defend Palestinian lives, but chooses not to use it
“These are signs that the U.S. has the capacity to influence Israel’s treatment of Palestinian civilians. But they’re also damning ones, because they’re a reminder that the U.S. is doing so much less than it could.” — Zeeshan Aleem, MSNBC
Biden can’t end the war, but he has to at least try
“A ceasefire is, of course, unlikely. ... But even limited success on this front will [make] a massive difference. ... Biden has only a limited array of options to push everyone on the path of least bloodshed. Calling for a ceasefire would, at the very least, change the conversation — and make better use of the knowledge hard won from actions we regret.” — Alex Shephard, New Republic
Calls for restraint are meaningless unless there are real consequences
“I worry the administration is trying to have it both ways — allow Israel free rein now but be able to say, ‘See, we told them not to go too far’ if, say, two days, weeks, months or years from now, there is a collective view that Israel went too far. Israeli leaders are acting as if they know U.S. officials are only giving lip service to the idea of restraint.” — Perry Bacon Jr., Washington Post
The U.S. can’t affect the course of the war, but will play a major role in the aftermath
“Unfortunately, Washington lacks real on-the-ground leverage and is more an observer to events than a shaper of them. ... If there is a central role for the United States to play, it may well come in trying to shape the scenario certain to emerge in the wake of Israel’s military operations.” — Aaron David Miller, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
U.S. meddling in the Middle East only ever causes more suffering
“As Biden spends time in Israel, it’s a stark reminder that the U.S. is no longer qualified to mediate the conflict. ... The United States causes and exacerbates many of the problems and conflicts that it later seeks to manage. American strength has meant the rest of the world has had to accept this reality.” — Shaun Narine, The Conversation
America’s most important responsibility is keeping the war contained
“First, the United States seems to have concluded that it needs to closely supervise events. Ostensibly, the prime U.S. interest is to ‘prevent the spread of the conflict’ and contain possible escalation. To that end, it feels that, simultaneous with an outpouring of support, it needs to check Israel.” — Alon Pinkas, Haaretz
Pushing Israel to curb its offensive would be a massive mistake
“The U.S. should say unambiguously what it should have said years ago: that in a war started by Israel’s enemies, it will give Israel all the time, resources, and diplomatic cover that it needs to achieve complete victory.” — Mario Loyola, National Review
