Words are easy. Actions are the true measure of commitment, the barometer by which we can gauge the Biden administration’s genuine support of and friendship for the state of Israel and the Jewish people.
As she speaks to the Jewish community in Detroit Sunday, there are several critical issues Jill Biden and the Biden administration won’t be willing to tackle.
One is the rise of antisemitism. President Joe Biden shakes his head sadly every time another report of a hate crime against Jews is reported in the news, paying lip service to comforting themes of peace and love. But where is his administration when a senior administrator in the Southlake, Texas school system informs teachers that if they utilize a book about the Holocaust in their curriculum, they should be sure to allow students access to a book from an “opposing” perspective?
As Jew-hatred increases on the Left and in the streets of America, when will Democrats offer equal protection to Jews, the oldest and most persecuted minority community in the world? When will Biden take systemic Jew-hatred seriously, treating Jews with the same concern he shows for other minority communities across the United States?
Biden also won’t address the Jewish presence in Judea. He waxes poetic about his great love for the state of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and America’s greatest ally. So, why is he dictating to Israel where Jews can live and prosper, calling homes in Judea, the indigenous birthplace of the Jewish nation, illegal? How is support for a two-state solution not a racist policy toward the Jewish people when it is in fact a no-state solution for Jews? A Palestinian state will drive Jews from their ancestral homes and create yet another Islamic state amid a sea of theological dictatorships. How can the Biden administration export a racist foreign policy that would never be tolerated here at home?
On Iran, the Biden administration drags its feet as the world watches Iran continue to develop its nuclear program. Despite Biden’s warning of “other options” should diplomacy fail, no action is being taken against a regime thoroughly committed to the destruction of Israel and the entire Western world. Meanwhile, China has been helping Iran evade the limited sanctions the U.S. does have in place. When will Biden choose to fight back against our foes and protect our friends?
Another question Biden dodges is that of keeping Jerusalem whole. When the Trump administration opened the doors of the new American Embassy in Jerusalem in 2018 it was the realization of a lifelong dream for many — the international acceptance of Jerusalem as the one true capital of Israel. When he closed the Jerusalem consulate in 2019, which for years had served as an unofficial representative mission to Palestinian Arabs, President Donald Trump made an even more emphatic statement: Jerusalem was no longer to be divided in two.
The past four years have proven that it is time to retire failed foreign policy doctrines and follow the path of success laid down by the Abraham Accords and other successful efforts at true and lasting peace. So, why is the Biden administration looking to reopen the consulate in violation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act and in a clear incitement to violence in Israel? Why is Biden undermining Israel’s claims to her own capital city and the sovereignty afforded all democratic nations?
As Biden and the Left pack a wish list of spending into a reconciliation package that will never pass the Senate, funding for the Iron Dome remains in limbo. The Jewish state stands susceptible to attacks from Hamas and Iran-funded Hezbollah. America has long partnered with Israel as she defends both her people and democracy in that region of the world. Why hasn’t the Biden administration taken steps to ensure that Israel can protect her people while Iron Dome funding remains in limbo?
Finally, why hasn’t Israel been admitted to the U.S. visa waiver program? Andorra (population 77,000), Liechtenstein (38,000), and San Marino (34,000) are all members of this program, which lets citizens of 40 countries enter the U.S. without first obtaining visas. Critical U.S. allies such as France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom are members too. Meanwhile, Israel continues to struggle for admission to a program that would ease the burden on the endless stream of Israelis who visit America for business and pleasure. Why won’t Biden treat Israeli citizens with the same respect he shows citizens of Brunei, Latvia, and Slovenia?
Why won’t the Biden administration stand up and treat Israel as a friend, instead of just calling her one? Lip service makes for a nice story, but the Jewish community needs action.
I hope Jill Biden doesn’t leave Michigan without getting that message.
Brooke Goldstein is the founder and executive director of the Lawfare Project.
