An article in The Hill quotes IPS’s New Internationalism Project director Phyllis Bennis in an examination of the immediate aftermath of the horrific Oct. 7 attack in Israel by Hamas and Israel’s ongoing attacks on the Gaza strip. The article highlights how the Biden administration’s signal of the United States’ unconditional support for Israel has impacted the region as a whole.
Bennis warns about Biden and the United States’ approach to crisis in Gaza that “In Israel, this kind of ‘bear hug’ diplomacy [Biden is] engaged in is certainly angering a lot of people.”
Bennis emphasizes the peril of a full ground invasion in Gaza, noting that the ongoing Israel war is a stark reminder of the aftermath of 9/11, when the U.S. launched its global war on terrorism. “When the U.S. was the target of a horrific attack with most of the victims being civilians, there was a massive level of support,” she said. “That was completely destroyed when [former President George W. Bush] announced just days later that his answer to this horrific crime would be to take the world to war.”