‘Close friends’ Biden and Bennett leave progressive Americans out in the cold

BENNETT AND BIDEN AT FIRST MEETING, AUGUST 27, 2021. SCREENSHOT FROM WHITE HOUSE VIDEO.

The progressive base of the Democratic Party was completely dissed yesterday by the White House in President Biden’s meeting with rightwing Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The president said he and the PM are “close friends,” he sounded a hawkish note on Iran, and he mentioned Palestine only in passing.

Bennett and Israel got everything that they wanted, observers said. The Israel lobby group AIPAC celebrated the leaders’ comments. “Israel and America will always stand together,” the American Jewish Committee exulted. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Orgs “applaud”-ed the meeting.

“Prime Minister Bennett is right… Biden loves Israel,” crows the Democratic Majority for Israel, citing a report that Bennett formed that impression from their exchange.

Biden said in the leaders’ public meeting that he is pursuing diplomacy to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. “But if diplomacy fails, we’re ready to turn to other options.”

The president spoke of his “unwavering, unwavering commitment” to Israel’s security, and said he “fully, fully, fully” supports spending to replenish an Israeli military defense program to stop Palestinian rockets. He had only this to say about Palestine:

“We also are going to discuss ways to advance peace and security and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Then Biden sat through Bennett’s long discussion about “the toughest neighborhood in the world” that Israel lives in, which includes threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad. Israel and the U.S. are “a lighthouse in a very very stormy world,” Bennett said.

Israeli observers and the Israel lobby are over the moon from the meeting as it cements Bennett’s hold on power and lessens friction between the U.S. and Israel. “A great achievement for Bennett,” says Jacques Neriah of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, on i24 News. “It’s been a very good meeting for Bennett,” former ambassador Danny Ayalon agreed.

Speaking to the New York Times, Aaron David Miller emphasizes the usefulness of Bennett to Biden, because he won’t politicize support for Israel in the U.S. “He’s Biden’s guy…. He has offered him a huge respite from what would have been Netanyahu’s highly partisan, politicized courting of Republicans.” (And why is the shoe on Bennett’s foot, a rightwing pro-settlement leader? Because the Democrats are afraid to stand up to Israel because they don’t want to lose the Israel lobby, a vital component of the Dem establishment that supports everything Israel does.)

Axios reports that Bennett told Biden not to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria and Iraq and asked for support in his pursuit of a “death by 1000 cuts” policy towards Iran, which he likened to the Cold War rivalry of the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. (As if the U.S. should be a docile ally of Israel on such a policy; as if only one side in the Cold War had nukes.)

Again it must be emphasized that the base of the Democratic Party, which by two-to-one supports restricting military aid to Israel because of its treatment of Palestinians, has nothing to show from this meeting.

Jewish Voice for Peace Action:

When your new bestie is the ruler of a violent apartheid regime.

The BDS movement issued an angry statement:

“We condemn the hypocritical messaging of empty concern for Palestinians and unbridled, unconditional support for apartheid Israel issued at today’s meeting between U.S. President Biden and far-right Israeli Prime Minister Bennett. In contrast, U.S. public opinion is rapidly shifting towards holding Israel accountable for its brutal regime of siege, massacres and ethnic cleansing of Indigenous Palestinians….

“We agree with the growing majority of Democrats who want to see their tax dollars used not for apartheid, siege and occupation, but for healthcare, racial justice and education.”

IMEU on twitter:

Biden is saying he and Bennett have become “close friends.” Washington was wholly aware that Netanyahu was a staunch advocate of violent & racist policies towards Palestinians. But new Prime Minister Bennett is even worse, & Biden is cozying up to him

BENNETT AND BIDEN, AUGUST 27, 2021. THE WHITE HOUSE. U.S. GOV’T PHOTO.

Jacob Kornbluh reports that Bennett told Biden he is pursuing a “no drama” policy with respect to Palestinians. No big headlines (yes, only routine abuses) — and that Biden brought up the evictions in Sheikh Jarrah as a problem. IfNotNow responds:

The Biden administration — and these Jewish leaders — must start seeing settlement expansion, killing Palestinian children, demolishing Palestinian homes, shooting Palestinian protesters, and continuing an inhumane blockade on Gaza for what they are: dramatic and violent actions.

Haaretz says the Israel lobby is pleased:

U.S. Jewish groups roundly praised the improved tone surrounding U.S.-Israel ties following the Bennett-Biden meeting. Reactions, however, are a bit more varied concerning their willingness to engage on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

You can see from the White House readout of the meeting that Palestinians were a low priority. “The President conveyed his ironclad support for Israel’s security and right to self-defense” is the top line, then Iran and the Israeli deals with Arab monarchies follows, and finally this vagueness:

The President underscored the importance of steps to improve the lives of Palestinians and support greater economic opportunities for them. He also noted the importance of refraining from actions that could exacerbate tensions, contribute to a sense of unfairness, and undermine efforts to build trust. President Biden reaffirmed his view that a negotiated two-state solution is the only viable path to achieving a lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.