As protests and attempts to quell them spread from New York to Los Angeles and many states in between, President Joe Biden finds himself caught in a series of political and diplomatic crosscurrents without an easy solution.
Here’s an easy decision… stop blocking the international community from pursuing diplomatic and economic remedies that would pressure Isreal to not commit genocide. Stop supplying military aide (potentially excepting the specialized hardware to maintain the iron dome).
Sounds like a pretty fucking easy solution…
Sounds like the Biden administration is taking a needlessly hard path just to appease AIPAC and similar foreign actors.
It’s important not to fall into a purely majority rule situation, but the Jewish community in America is divided on this matter… we can’t let the minority of a minority that’s in favor of this genocide steer international policy.
The entire bottom paragraph of what you said is entirely wrong. I support Palestine and stopping Israel, but a majority of Jewish people (62%) in the US are fine with the war and the direction it’s going in. As are most Americans. Your point of not having majority rule is true to some extent, but it’s hard to argue that while also knowing that not respecting Majority rule is how we got the first trump administration…
Data
There are more non-Jewish Americans in support of Israel. Due to party loyalty and skewed right-wing media, 41% of Republicans think Israel is doing a good job and 24% think they should kill more Palestinians.
Weird to correct someone and then just add in an extra bonus fact that’s wrong. Unless you’re claiming “not sure” is “fine with”, which it isn’t. “Fine with” is “acceptable”.
About four-in-ten U.S. adults (38%) say Israel’s conduct of the war has been acceptable, and 34% say it has been unacceptable. The remaining 26% are unsure.
And more importantly, these aren’t random samples of the population. Dem/Lean Dem respondents said Israel’s conduct is unacceptable by 52-22.
It’s a bit more complicated I think and the polling is pretty close. Here’s a survey from about a month ago that puts the divide closer to 50/50. I suppose a better way to word my last paragraph is either “half a minority” or “a portion of a minority”.
I did want to highlight the Jewish community’s opinion though because I think the division there is extremely telling - and because I know the evangelical community is all in on genocide but, imo: they’re a bunch of fucking idiots, I don’t care what they think, and their opinions are irrelevant to politics because most of them will vote for Trump come hell or high water.
It’s not Jews, it’s Republicans that you need to look at. The US sees Israel as an investment first, a military base second, and a sovereign nation third.
I don’t disagree - but in terms of this election everyone who considers themselves a Trump republican is unswayable… but there are a lot of folks outraged at Netanyahu who may refuse to vote at all.
You’ll not hear any disagreements from me - but even here on lemmy you’ll find people who are planning to refrain from voting because they morally object to voting for someone who is supporting genocide. That’s a very fair morale stance in the abstract but in this case you’ve got two real choices and choosing not to vote is inviting even more death.
You’re right, and it’s sad. They really don’t understand how much worse it’ll be if they put their pride in front of the polls. I’m voting reluctantly out of fear of the repercussions of another Trump presidency, and I’m older than average on here. They have so much more to lose that won’t just “come back” with the next election.
Biden has to support Israel. It’s a centerpiece of us foreign policy for a reason; they want a friend in the region, and there is huge support from his constituents. It’s basically politically impossible to say no.
We don’t need Isreal as a strategic partner - we’re on good terms with the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and generally good terms with Turkey, Oman and Iraq - Isreal isn’t foundational to American security, America is foundational to Isreali security.
You say that, but americas actions paint a totally diffedifferent picture. They are joined at the hip with Israel and that isn’t going to change easily.
That isn’t for strategic reasons though… it’s because most Americans want a peaceful Isreal to exist (partially because the holocaust was awful, partially because we’ve got a large jewish population, partially because we like underdogs and partially because racism) and the fact that Isreal is inciting violence is just now reaching some people. I think public opinion is moving hard away from Isreal but, historically, most Americans supported giving them outrageous levels of aide.
Nobody needs a friend so badly that they’re justified in making friends with a genocidal maniac. I understand that Israel has been a long-term investment, but the amount of human suffering going on right now vastly outweighs any lamentations about sunk cost. What this country needs is a president willing to show that he cares about preventing suffering above all else. Doctors take an oath to both do good and do no harm - it’s time for our presidents to do the same, and be held to it to the same degree.
Here’s an easy decision… stop blocking the international community from pursuing diplomatic and economic remedies that would pressure Isreal to not commit genocide. Stop supplying military aide (potentially excepting the specialized hardware to maintain the iron dome).
Sounds like a pretty fucking easy solution…
Sounds like the Biden administration is taking a needlessly hard path just to appease AIPAC and similar foreign actors.
It’s important not to fall into a purely majority rule situation, but the Jewish community in America is divided on this matter… we can’t let the minority of a minority that’s in favor of this genocide steer international policy.
That would require admitting that they were wrong. Which I admit is hard, but come on, man.
The entire bottom paragraph of what you said is entirely wrong. I support Palestine and stopping Israel, but a majority of Jewish people (62%) in the US are fine with the war and the direction it’s going in. As are most Americans. Your point of not having majority rule is true to some extent, but it’s hard to argue that while also knowing that not respecting Majority rule is how we got the first trump administration… Data
Majority in U.S. Now Disapprove of Israeli Action in Gaza
There are more non-Jewish Americans in support of Israel. Due to party loyalty and skewed right-wing media, 41% of Republicans think Israel is doing a good job and 24% think they should kill more Palestinians.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-poll-biden-war-gaza-4159b28d313c6c37abdb7f14162bcdd1
Weird to correct someone and then just add in an extra bonus fact that’s wrong. Unless you’re claiming “not sure” is “fine with”, which it isn’t. “Fine with” is “acceptable”.
And more importantly, these aren’t random samples of the population. Dem/Lean Dem respondents said Israel’s conduct is unacceptable by 52-22.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2024/02/25/biden-election-jews-evangelicals-support-gaza-ceasefire/72672589007/
It’s a bit more complicated I think and the polling is pretty close. Here’s a survey from about a month ago that puts the divide closer to 50/50. I suppose a better way to word my last paragraph is either “half a minority” or “a portion of a minority”.
I did want to highlight the Jewish community’s opinion though because I think the division there is extremely telling - and because I know the evangelical community is all in on genocide but, imo: they’re a bunch of fucking idiots, I don’t care what they think, and their opinions are irrelevant to politics because most of them will vote for Trump come hell or high water.
It’s not Jews, it’s Republicans that you need to look at. The US sees Israel as an investment first, a military base second, and a sovereign nation third.
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-poll-biden-war-gaza-4159b28d313c6c37abdb7f14162bcdd1
I don’t disagree - but in terms of this election everyone who considers themselves a Trump republican is unswayable… but there are a lot of folks outraged at Netanyahu who may refuse to vote at all.
They’ll be inviting a far worse supporter of genocide of not just Palestinians, but Ukrainians as well.
You’ll not hear any disagreements from me - but even here on lemmy you’ll find people who are planning to refrain from voting because they morally object to voting for someone who is supporting genocide. That’s a very fair morale stance in the abstract but in this case you’ve got two real choices and choosing not to vote is inviting even more death.
You’re right, and it’s sad. They really don’t understand how much worse it’ll be if they put their pride in front of the polls. I’m voting reluctantly out of fear of the repercussions of another Trump presidency, and I’m older than average on here. They have so much more to lose that won’t just “come back” with the next election.
People supporting genocide doesn’t make it okay.
How is that easy?
Biden has to support Israel. It’s a centerpiece of us foreign policy for a reason; they want a friend in the region, and there is huge support from his constituents. It’s basically politically impossible to say no.
We don’t need Isreal as a strategic partner - we’re on good terms with the UAE, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and generally good terms with Turkey, Oman and Iraq - Isreal isn’t foundational to American security, America is foundational to Isreali security.
You say that, but americas actions paint a totally diffedifferent picture. They are joined at the hip with Israel and that isn’t going to change easily.
That isn’t for strategic reasons though… it’s because most Americans want a peaceful Isreal to exist (partially because the holocaust was awful, partially because we’ve got a large jewish population, partially because we like underdogs and partially because racism) and the fact that Isreal is inciting violence is just now reaching some people. I think public opinion is moving hard away from Isreal but, historically, most Americans supported giving them outrageous levels of aide.
Nobody needs a friend so badly that they’re justified in making friends with a genocidal maniac. I understand that Israel has been a long-term investment, but the amount of human suffering going on right now vastly outweighs any lamentations about sunk cost. What this country needs is a president willing to show that he cares about preventing suffering above all else. Doctors take an oath to both do good and do no harm - it’s time for our presidents to do the same, and be held to it to the same degree.
Says the nazi