A short-term vision

When the war between Hamas and Israel broke out on Oct. 7, former President Barack Obama tweeted that “all Americans should be horrified and outraged by the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians,” and America must “stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas.”

In a later interview, Obama attempted to draw a moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas, saying that “what Hamas did was horrific, and there is no justification for it. And what is also true is that the occupation, and what’s happening to Palestinians, is unbearable.”

What Obama ignored is that since 2005, Israel gave up control of the Gaza Strip. Hamas Gaza government has acted as an independent nation.

When Hamas took control in 2007, it killed representatives of the Palestinian Authority, many by defenestration (throwing them out windows of buildings). Until the war with Israel, there were no Israelis left. Even graves of Israelis were relocated to cemeteries in Israel.

A New York Times article claimed that U.S. officials gave the Israelis suggestions that they could reduce civilian casualties. However, according to a Channel 13 Israeli television report, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that adhering to American generals’ advice would cause “more casualties.”

It seems the Biden administration is looking short-term and focused on the immediate reduction of violence prior to November. Israeli leaders are looking long-term and focused on eliminating terrorism for good.

Charles Winfield, Princeton, N.J.