cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/39748429
[Bias alert - #NYT usually favors Israel]
Opinion - Guest Essay Ben Rhodes
During the Biden presidency, it was short-handed the “hug Bibi” strategy — the idea that smothering Mr. Netanyahu with unconditional support would give the U.S. leverage to influence his actions. Over the final 15 months of the Biden presidency, this approach led the White House to provide a flood of weapons for Israel’s bombardment of Palestinians, veto United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for a cease-fire, attack the International Criminal Court for pursuing charges against Mr. Netanyahu, ignore its own policies about supporting military units credibly accused of war crimes and blame Hamas for not accepting cease-fire terms that the Israeli government was also rejecting.
“Lucy would really be blowing it if she held the football wrong again when I kick it,” thought Charlie Brown.
“Lol,” thought Lucy. “Lmao”During the Biden presidency, it was short-handed the “hug Bibi” strategy — the idea that smothering Mr. Netanyahu with unconditional support would give the U.S. leverage to influence his actions.
Does anyone believe that? Obviously the way you have influence is by putting conditions on support.
And that’s also not how the Biden admin talked about it. They pretended to the American public at least to have red lines in place that would cost Israel American support, then the Israelis repeatedly crossed those lines and the US kept sending them weapons anyway.
Duh, didn’t you read the strategy… smother Netanyahu with unconditional support… haha, because that’s always the best way influence people.
Same strategy as the blue no matter who crowd.
So glad that dumb strategy is finally being called out… they’ve been saying it my whole life… it’s so fucking stupid and tiring…
Right up there with the people saying Biden’s support of the genocide wasn’t as bad as Trump’s support of the genocide….
SMH
They got exactly what they wanted, that’s not a stumble, that’s a win.
Is it really “blowing it” when you are straight-up complicit?
Ben Rhodes is delusional.
The always-stumbling US empire
Yeah I’m calling bs. Plausible deniability isn’t plausible anymore.
Who could have guessed enabling genocide wouldn’t have the positive effect on their fundraising they hoped? You live, you learn. Whoopsie! /s
We learn once every 4 years!
