Netanyahu: 'If Israel Is Forced to Stand Alone, Israel Will Stand Alone'

I never thought a day would come when an American president would abandon the state of Israel in a time of crisis. But Joe Biden has done it, and it will be to his eternal shame.

Biden has political problems with the Arab and Muslim part of his coalition. It's an important ethnic group in several key states, and alienating them has put his re-election in jeopardy. But his biggest problem is with the mainstream of the Democratic Party that is braying for Israel to take its foot off the neck of Hamas and let them up to survive another day.

This, Israel cannot do. "Never Again" must also mean no more October 7s.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing the prospect of a schism with Israel's chief ally, nevertheless remains committed to his goal of destroying Hamas.

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, He gave a moving speech that stated in no uncertain terms that Israel was committed to victory.

"Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction."

"I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself."

Netanyahu was referring to the imminent indictment of Israeli military and political leaders by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

He concluded by pledging: "As the Prime Minister of Israel – the one and only Jewish state – I pledge here today from Jerusalem on this Holocaust Remembrance Day: If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. But we know we are not alone because countless decent people around the world support our just cause. And I say to you, we will defeat our genocidal enemies. Never again is now!"

Biden told CNN that he would halt arms shipments if Israel went into Rafah. His entire statement never mentioned Hamas once.

Israeli National News:

US President Joe Biden told CNN on Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a major invasion of the city of Rafah.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview, referring to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week.

Israel does not "go after population centers." That's a lie, and Biden knows it's not true.

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden added.

Today, the Israeli Defense Force moved on Eastern Rafah with tanks and artillery fire. They're not blowing everything up trying to kill as many people as possible. These are targeted, tactical moves. Yes, civilians are going to die. But the real issues are going to be decided after the war is over.

What of the U.S.-Israeli relationship after the war?

CNN:

The president and top officials repeatedly warned his counterpart against a Rafah offensive. And his authority and credibility as a global leader depends on Biden standing behind his warnings after Netanyahu has repeatedly ignored US calls to temper the intensity of the Gaza war.

Biden’s statement also implies a judgement that US national interests now depend on not being seen as an accessory to the worsening of an already epochal humanitarian disaster in Gaza that has put the United States at odds with many allies in Europe and the Middle East and erode its pretension to global leadership.

Israel is only beginning to see the post-war mess it will have to deal with. Who controls in Gaza? Netanyahu wants Israel to choose a government. What of the three million Palestinians, many of whom don't have homes, a job, or anything to eat?

Will Egypt be able to withstand the coming flood of refugees? What of other formerly pro-Israel Arab states like Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco?

There's no guarantee that Netanyahu can survive in office after the war's over. There will be a reckoning for the failures before October 7, and Netanyahu may become a casualty.  

Whoever is in charge in Israel, there will have to be some kind of reconciliation with Washington in order to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East.