Biden Warns Against Vengeance, Citing 9/11 Mistakes and Netanyahu's War Policies
As the world marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and approached the three-year mark of the October 7th Hamas assault, a past warning from U.S. President Joe Biden to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resurfaced. During a visit to Israel in October 2023, Biden cautioned against letting anger dictate actions, recalling America's response to 9/11. "After 9/11 we were angry in the United States. While we sought justice and achieved justice, we also made mistakes," Biden stated, referencing the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
The article draws a parallel between Biden's warning and Netanyahu's long-standing advocacy for regional military interventions. It highlights Netanyahu's 2002 testimony to a U.S. House committee, where he argued that an attack on Iraq would create a "positive ripple effect" in the Middle East. Following the U.S. invasion, Iraq descended into prolonged conflict, civil war, and terrorism, fostering the rise of ISIS and increasing Iranian influence.
Further examples cited include Netanyahu's 2015 address to Congress aimed at thwarting the Iran nuclear deal. While President Donald Trump later withdrew from the agreement, the article contends this led to Iran advancing its nuclear program, enriching uranium to 60% and becoming a nuclear threshold state allied with Russia and China. The piece also references Netanyahu's alleged encouragement of further military actions against Iran under Trump, including strikes on nuclear facilities and a push for regime change, which the author claims led to the current regional conflict.
The article criticizes Netanyahu's approach, particularly his focus on military action since October 7th while neglecting diplomatic efforts and accelerating settlement expansion in the West Bank. It points to Britain's recent ban on products from settlements as a diplomatic failure for Netanyahu's foreign policy. The author concludes that strategic leadership requires understanding the consequences of military action, a capability Netanyahu has repeatedly failed to demonstrate, leading to a cycle of unresolved wars and instability.
