In the fifty years that I have been researching Israel-United States relations, and in the many years in which I served in senior diplomatic posts that bring the two nations together, I do not remember a more pro-Israel speech than that delivered by President Joe Biden on Tuesday night. The US president expressed unreserved support for Israel, for the Jewish state, and has placed America's power at its defense.
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There have been many pro-Israel American presidents, from President Lyndon Johnson to Presidents Bush and Clinton, but Biden, with his friendship, fervor, sensitivity, and strength has set a new bar when it comes to being pro-Zionist.
I had the privilege to work with Biden for a long time, I know him as a person and a leader who has Israel "in his heart" and I have heard him on more than one occasion describe himself as a Zionist. But I too was surprised by his speech, which could just as easily have been delivered by an Israeli prime minister.
President Biden spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken flanking him, a rare ensemble and one that gave his words added weight and gravitas.
He unequivocally condemned Hamas terrorism and spoke in detail about the horrors and war crimes committed by terrorists against innocents, against women, children, and the elderly. He also condemned antisemitism in the United States and around the world and talked of the Holocaust and the scars borne by the Jewish People.
From a strategic perspective, President Biden repeated his promise to supply the IDF with all the logistics and munitions it requires. Even more importantly, the president made a commitment to deploy American military power against anyone – namely Iran and Hezbollah – who dares to intervene in the war against Israel.
The president once again stressed Israel's right to defend itself, and its right to respond with full force against Hamas. Predicting growing international criticism of Israel, he emphasized that the IDF – like the American military, and contrary to Hamas – operates within the parameters of international law.
Immediately after Biden's speech, I gave an interview to the BBC, in which the presenter strongly criticized Israel for the total siege it has imposed on the Gaza Strip, claiming that this was a violation of international law. That makes Biden's comments all the more important. To put it more simply, President Biden gave Israel a green light to wage its war on Hamas with full American backing. These are not empty words; he has already sent parts of the Fifth and Sixth Fleets to the shores of Lebanon and the Straits of Hormuz.
When I heard his speech, I was deeply moved. It was a speech that will go down in the annals of Israel-US ties and will be remembered by the Jewish People for generations to come.
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