Biden & Israel: What it's Like to Make Policy in the White House

[@larsonsjane]

Thanks Peter. It is important to learn more about the thinking that has led our US government down a path that has turned out to be so historically horrific. You were so apt in your questioning and responding questions. One can only hope some light has been shed.

[@shaybritting6019]

Thanks Foundation for Middle-East ❤❤

[@grporter]

Steven Simon explains why US chooses to be powerless.

[@sofbash]

Interesting insight into the old generation thinking. Lots of young people, including many young people of a Jewish background today no longer blindly support Israel. A lot of his justifications for outrageous Israeli behaviour and potential war crimes no longer seem to stand up to scrutiny. There is a pathway to peace though as he broadly outlined: - A contiguous, viable, autonomous (or semi autonomous for a specified period) Palestinian state - in return for … - Normalisation with the Arab world - And continued US funding and nato style protection. The US has got to withhold military and economic funding as part of that deal. It’s an important part of the leverage.

[@David-v2t8h]

Your guest says that the war has ripped off the mask of antisemitism in America……if he’s implying protestors seeking a ceasefire are antisemetic……he needs to acknowledge that Israel has become a split society too, with walls and checkpoints and numerous apartheid-like conditions which separate societies there as well

[@deborahgordon1812]

I don't have time to listen to this kind of discussion about "strategy." What I would say is that if this guy believes that student protests have "ripped off the mask of antisemitism," he is part of the problem which is the anti-Palestinian racism that leads to disasters decade after decade for the US, culminating in the arming of and support for the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. This is not simply a moral question but a strategic one. The national security agency is (surprise!) concerned about potential terrorism aimed at US interests.

[@deborahgordon1812]

Leave aside the skewing of reality in the claim that there has been a "surge" in antisemitism on US campuses-if anything, physical violence has targeted Palestinians qua being Palestinian. If anything, the more pressing problem is racism targeting Palestinians in the US and in the OPT.

[@deborahgordon1812]

If anyone is "other" to international law and a "rules-based order," at this moment, it is the Netanyahu administration with full partnership of Biden's. This is Biden's war and Biden's genocidal policy.

[@deborahgordon1812]

It's "problematic?" #SMDH

[@deborahgordon1812]

After all, Hamas did not issue the "Hannibel Directive" on Oct 7. The Israeli govt did.

[@RobinHerzig]

Glad Peter was able to give him a bit of pushback in the end there on the Zionist talking points about ‘destroying’ Hamas + hiding behind civilians crap

[@David-v2t8h]

I think we do have some leverage……we could start with the $4billion we annually give them…and stop providing weaponry

[@RobinHerzig]

The supplemental gives them $14 Billion now in addition to the annual $3.8B

[@deborahgordon1812]

I never voted for these "commitments" to Israel.

[@JoshWine]

Beinart is so naive. Painful to watch. He seems to assume that the US can just leverage countries into doing what the US wants. If that was the case, the US would have fought no wars. In reality, there are competing geopolitical groups and the US leads the most important one. They maintain that leadership by behaving as first-among-equals rather than bully-in-chief. I personally support a two-state solution and believe that Israel's and Palestine's allies should continue to push and encourage this. But ultimately, it can only be for those two peoples to decide, particularly if we want it to be a stable outcome.