President Joe Biden is in Israel to demonstrate unwavering U.S. support for the nation after Hamas launched an indiscriminate attack, killing about 1,400 Israelis and resulting in an Israeli military response that has now killed thousands in Gaza.
Comparing the Hamas attacks to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., Biden emphasized both that “justice must be done” but that Israel must not be “consumed by” its rage.
Justice must be done. But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it. After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes. I’m the first U.S. president to visit Israel in time of war. I’ve made wartime decisions. I know the choices are never clear or easy for the leadership.
There’s always cost, and it requires being deliberate. It requires asking very hard questions. It requires clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path you’re on will achieve those objectives.
The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.
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