‘Elderly Biden acting shrewdly’

This is apropos a Letter to the Editor “Elderly Biden acting shrewdly” carried by the newspaper yesterday.

In my view, however, US President Joe Biden is not acting shrewdly; he’s in fact acting dangerously and imprudently. His approach to the Middle East conflict is strongly characterised by his administration’s blind support to Israel that unfortunately does not take into consideration how such one-sided US support would add to the current bout of death and destruction that has virtually brought the entire world to the precipice of a new world war.

Although President Biden has greatly disappointed the world, particularly the besieged Palestinians, a senior US official hasn’t. He’s the one who was involved in arms transfers to US allies for 11 years and he has resigned in protest over Washington’s decision to boost military aid to Israel.

He has resigned over Washington’s decision to boost military aid to Israel, pointing out that US-supported Gaza war would lead to more suffering for both Israelis and Palestinians.

According to Josh Paul, a director in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the administration of President Joe Biden is repeating the same mistakes Washington has been making for decades.

“The response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people.

“I knew it was not without its moral complexity and moral compromises, and I made myself a promise that I would stay for as long as I felt the harm I might do could be outweighed by the good I could do. ...”

I strongly believe that the Middle East conflict has been deepening day in, day out mainly due to Israel’s disproportionate response to October 7 Hamas attacks and Biden administration’s deeply flawed approach to the situation. In my view, Josh Paul has said nothing but truth.

He has invited the American nation’s attention to the growing bellicosity of an elderly head of state and government that clearly militates against the US interests in the region and beyond and the lofty ideals of human rights, democracy and rule of law.

President Biden must be ready to pay a price as his reelection chances are already jeopardized by concerns over economy, crime and his age.

R.S. Edgar, (Chicago, Illinois, the US)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023