LOS ANGELES.–Biden White House doesn’t dare at this point accuse the incoming foreign policy team of 78-year-old President Donald Trump of meddling in U.S. foreign policy. With the Biden national security team led by 63-year-old Secretary of State Antony Blinken and 47-year-old National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan failing to get results on a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, the White House conceded they need all the help they can get. Hamas is in a weakened position now not because Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fell to rebel forces but because Iran and Hezbollah can no longer support Palestinian terror operations. Trump warned Hamas last week that if the hostages were not released the Jan. 20, 2025 there would be hell to pay. Blinken and Sullivan were critical of Trump before he shellacked Vice President Kamala Harris in the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Biden and his national security team would like to take credit for a ceasefire deal and hostage release only a month before Biden leaves office. Whether that happens or not is anyone’s guess. What’s known for sure is that the Biden national security team has not been able to get a deal in the last 14 months since Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages into Gaza. Biden has not been directly involved in anything because of his obvious cognitive impairments, despite barking out some incoherent message periodically on the nightly news. When it comes to the U.S. commander-in-chief involved in direct talks, it hasn’t happened for whatever reason. Now in the 11th hour Biden lets Trump do anything possible so he can take credit for the ceasefire and hostage deal. Not likely that anything happens until after Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 inauguration.
Trump said he had “a very good talk” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, someone Biden could only argue with over petty issues. Biden treated Netanyahu like a client of United States, threatening to withhold cash-and-arms if he continued his military operations in Rafah and other Gaza hot spots. Biden treated Netanyahu worse that he treated Hamas, prompting Netanyahu to withdraw from interacting with Biden. “As you know I gave a warning that if these hostages aren’t back home by that date, all hell is going to break out,” Trump said at Mar-a-Lago press conference. Biden should have been firm with Hamas and Egyptian and Qatari negotiators, telling them that Hamas must leave Gaza before any ceasefire can be reached. Everyone knows that once the Gaza War is settled, Hamas cannot return to Gaza leadership for its egregious corruption.
Under Biden’s leadership, the U.S. did not find agreement with the European Union [EU] that Hamas must be given some kind of exile agreement out of Gaza. Hamas has burned its bridges to play an leadership role any longer in Palestinian society. Showing consensus about Hamas exiting Gaza would have set the right kind of conditions for a ceasefire and future peace talks. Whoever takes over Gaza, they must agree to live peacefully with its Israeli neighbors. Palestinians must get over the Hamas delusion that they’re going to destroy the Jewish State and return Arabs to lead the Holy Land. Arabs never led the Holy Land but lived under Ottoman Turk and British rule for over 500 years. Britain only rule of the Holy Land from 1920 to 1948 when Israel declared independence. Trump means business when he says the cat-and-mouse game is over when he takes over.
Whatever remains of Hamas leadership, they think they can use the remaining Israeli hostages for blackmail, something that won’t happen under Trump. Meeting with Trump, Netanyahu hinted he has a plan once Trump takes office for ridding whatever’s left of Hamas terrorists and getting the terrorists out. Netanyahu would like to see a new Palestinian Authority take over the Gaza Strip, because 88-year-old Ramalah-based Palestinian Authority Leader Mahmoud Abbas cannot assume responsibility over Gaza. Gaza must have new, more youthful leadership to lead the next generations of Palestinians to a prosperous future. None of the Palestinian’s old guard can supply any leadership to a new Gaza Strip, knowing that the same old destroy Israel mantra no longer works. Future Gaza leadership must partner with Palestinians with the goal making peace.
Biden and his national security team made some big mistakes with Israel, coercing Netanyahu into ending his war in Gaza before Hamas agreed to leave. Biden would have been more helpful to peace if he worked with the EU, Egypt and Qatar to agree to Hamas getting out of Gaza. For the last 14 months, Hamas has pretended it could remain the ruling legal authority in Gaza when the Oct. 7, 2013 massacre ruled that out. “We discussed the need to complete Israel’s victory and we spoke at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages,” Trump’s Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff said. Witikoff warned Hamas that if the hostages are not returned by Jan. 20, 2025, it would “not be a pretty day.” Only recently has Hamas considered its remaining options, requiring it to get out of Gaza. Only the most hardcore Hamas leaders don’t see their Gaza rule has ended.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
