Biden Meets the Moment - Rob Horowitz

Biden Meets the Moment - Rob Horowitz

In the wake of Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attack, resulting in the deaths of 1,300 Israeli men, women and children and the taking of 200 hostages, President Biden has more than met the moment.  Drawing on his years of foreign policy experience, the president took a series of quick, decisive and impactful steps. These include flying into a war zone to demonstrate American support for Israel, working to limit the risks of a wider Mideast war, and making the case to the American public that we must stand up for embattled democracies in a world where authoritarianism is on the march.

President Biden’s unprecedented and risky trip to Israel last week yielded major dividends. Taken together, his public appearance with Prime Minister Netanyahu, joining a meeting of Israel’s war cabinet, and meeting with families of the victims of the Hamas’s attack sent a powerful message both to Israelis and the world at large that the United States stands behind its long-time ally at this critical time.  “Your visit here is the first visit of an American president in Israel at a time of war,” Prime Minister Netanyahu remarked in their joint appearance.  “It is deeply, deeply moving.” 

Additionally, the trip afforded the president the opportunity in meetings over several hours to persuade Prime Minister Netanyahu and his key military advisors of the need for a measured response that limited civilian deaths in Gaza, worked to keep Hezbollah from fully engaging, which would create another front, and reduced the possibility of more direct Iranian military involvement.   Despite the cancellation of a planned meeting with several Arab and Palestinian leaders, the president was able to win Egypt’s agreement to open up a route into Gaza for the delivery of supplies and announce $100 million of additional aid to the Palestinians.

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Upon his return, the president delivered a prime-time address that deftly pointed out the commonalities that undergird our support for Israel and Ukraine—and persuasively argued that they both require stepped up assistance. “So let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America’s national security,” President Biden exclaimed.  “You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction.  They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world keep rising.”   In both these cases, as the president noted, the fighting is being done by Israeli and Ukrainian troops with little risk to American lives.

As always, the future remains open, and the outcomes of these difficult situations remains to be determined.  President Biden's skillful and steadfast leadership, however, has increased the odds of success and reflected our shared values.  For the many Americans that question whether at his advanced age---the signs of which are plain for all to see---Mr. Biden is still up to the job, his recent actions and resilience in the face of a schedule that would tire anyone should provide at least some reassurance.

As the presidential biographer, Richard Reeves noted, we don’t pay our presidents by the hour; we measure them by their key decisions and actions at critical moments. At this critical moment, Joe Biden has passed that test with flying colors.