President Biden is Making The Same Mistakes With Israel (BTN #25)
Biden Tracking Newsletter #25: Day 986 (10/2) through Day 992 (10/8)
President Biden speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the U.N. General Assembly in New York City in September. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
This is the twenty-fifth edition of the Biden Tracking newsletter. This week, I’m focusing on the recent Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and why the United States is making the same old mistakes. Plus the Biden Administration announced some more disappointing border moves, including more deportations for Venezuelans and the building of a section of Trump’s border wall. It is Monday, October 9th, 2023, day 993 of the Biden presidency.
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On Saturday the terrorist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, launched an attack against Israel. 3,000 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip killing at least 900 Israelis. In response, Israel has launched its own air strikes into Gaza, killing at least 400 Palestinians. Israel-Palestine is a decades-old, incredibly complicated geopolitical affair but the United States, led by President Joe Biden, is continuing to make the same mistakes that have exacerbated this conflict.
Many people would like you to think that this is a conflict with a simple answer. Hamas is most definitely a terrorist organization and the phrase “unprovoked terrorist attack” has been thrown around, including by the White House. Calling this awful attack unprovoked is willfully ignorant. Israel is continuing to partake in apartheid against Palestinians, as described by Amnesty International. Palestinians have an absolute right to fight against this. It is horrifying, and wrong, that its fight has turned into a terrorist attack that has killed 900 Israelis. Swift and rightful condemnation came for the attack. However, condemnation for the Israeli response in the form of air strikes into Gaza has been almost non-existent. Which, despite being a supported response, will result in the same preventable loss of life.
Along those same lines, the United States is doing very little to stop a war between Hamas and Israel. In fact, they seem to be almost encouraging it. President Biden is providing assistance for the Israel Defense Forces (the Israeli Army), moved an aircraft carrier and missile cruisers closer to Israel to provide defense for the country, and vowed “rock solid and unwavering” support for Israel. The President, along with other western leaders, continues to refuse to call for de-escalation for a conflict that will surely end in mass killings of innocent civilians on both sides. These powers have succeded in making a call for de-escalation unpopular. Senator Ed Markey was booed in Boston when he called for de-escalation at an event.
I am Jewish and I have seen many disturbing social media posts from close friends and families. These are posts that call for us to throw away all nuance and “stand with Israel.” Posts that compare this terrorist attack to the Holocaust. The reality is that apartheid against Palestinians from the Israeli government led us into this mess. Funding another war, one that will be used by Israel to crack down on Palestinians even more, especially in the Occupied West Bank, will not come close to stopping these attacks. There is certainly not an obvious solution to this conflict, especially not one that will make both sides happy. But war is not a solution, and President Biden’s increasing support of this one is going to leave innocent people, both Israeli and Palestinian, dead for no good reason.
Wednesday, October 4th (Day 988)
Biden Forgives Slightly More Student Debt
On Wednesday the Biden Administration announced to forgive $9 billion in student loans for 125,000 borrowers who have been on an income-driven repayment (IDR) or Public Service Loan Forgiveness plan. The IDR plan is for individuals who have been making payments for more than 20 years while the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program includes those who have been working in a government position or nonprofit for more than 10 years. Despite this positive step, more work still needs to be done; 45 million other borrowers are still paying a combined $1.75 trillion in student loans.
Thursday, October 5th (Day 989)
U.S. to build Trump’s Border Wall and start deporting Venezuelans
On Thursday the Biden Administration announced plans to expand President Donald Trump’s border wall and deport thousands of Venezuelans.
Let’s start with the border wall. On Thursday the Biden Administration announced plans to build “physical barriers” across the border near McAllen, Texas. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that the work was a legal requirement stemming from appropriations during the Trump administration. But DHS head Alejandro Mayorkas also said “There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States.” The Biden Administration is also waiving more than 20 federal laws and regulations to allow for construction. The Biden Administration is attempting to use the pretext of the Trump era appropriations to support the building of the wall. But based on the second statement, the Biden Administration feels that more barriers are an effective way to deter unlawful migration, just like President Trump. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly in this newsletter, improving access to Asylum is the most effective way to stop unlawful border crossings. Building a fence means that desperate individuals will continue to be desperate.
The second piece of immigration news announced was that the Biden Administration would begin deporting Venezuelans back to Venezuela. Previously the Biden Administration was not deporting Venezuelans to Venezuela due to the political and economic turmoil currently going on in the country. A record number of Venezuelans, 50,000, crossed the Mexican-American border last month. The New York Times suggests that the Bidej Administration thinks that move will deter Venezuelans from trying to enter the United States. The Biden Administration has created legal programs for Venezuelans to apply for Asylum in the United States, but they require a financial sponsor, which many Venezuelans do not have.
U.S. Shoots Down Turkish Drone in Syria
On Thursday the United States shot down a Turkish drone in Syria that came within 500 yards of American troops. Syria is an ongoing Civil War. The United States has about 900 troops on the ground supporting Kurdish forces fighting against the Syrian government, which is backed by Turkey.
Other News: