The White House canceled a high-level U.S.-Israel meeting on Iran that was scheduled for Thursday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video on Tuesday claiming the U.S. was withholding military aid, two U.S. officials tell Axios.

  • lennybird@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I know this is contrarian especially with the tankies of Lemmy but I think the White House is handling this situation about as best as feasible given the circumstances. When you consider the power of AIPAC, that Israel has an online troll farm akin to Russia as well as dumping money into anti-Democrat ads, that a sizable chunk of the electorate still expresses at least sympathy if not support for Israel, I think it’s important that the Biden administration’s actions are proportional to where public polling is. It’s of course no coincidence that as support for Israel has waned since October, there has a been a proportionate shift in public and private support for Israel from the administration. Too rapid and Biden could get ahead of polls; too quick to withdraw all aid and prior commitments, and all it takes is one little false-flag that someone like Bibi would happily let happen to score massive geopolitical points to crush Biden. Then if Trump gets in, then Bibi — like Putin — is utterly free to do as he wishes.

    The key to crippling Israel and implementing further action isn’t simply criticizing the Biden administration, but rather influencing the polls. Spreading the word virally across social media on the atrocities committed by Israel and Bibi, and tying them to the more popular Pro-Ukrainian conflict. In doing so, you will see a change in the polls and a reflection in administrative policy.