Following the slaughter of hundreds of innocent Israelis at the hands of Hamas terrorists this past weekend, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for a cease-fire to hostilities as the world’s lone Jewish state began launching its counterattack.
In a post published on Sunday evening, Blinken informed his X (formerly Twitter) followers that he spoke with the foreign minister of Turkey regarding Hamas’ onslaught against Israel. In the post, the U.S.’ leading diplomat stated that he encouraged Turkey to advocate for “a cease-fire,” as well as “the release of all hostages held” by Hamas — an Iranian-backed terrorist organization — “immediately.”
The now-unavailable post was shared “just as Israel began responding” to Hamas’ Saturday attacks, according to the New York Post.
[RELATED: Israel Must Eradicate Hamas And Accept Nothing Less Than Unconditional Surrender]
Blinken’s tweet was not the first instance in which the Biden administration openly pressured Israeli leadership to avoid militarily responding to what has arguably been the worst terrorist attack in their nation’s history. Hours after Hamas started slaughtering innocent Israeli civilians, the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs tweeted, “We urge all sides [emphasis added] to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”
When pressed by The Washington Free Beacon on the office’s deletion of the tweet, the State Department claimed in a statement that the post “was not approved and does not represent U.S. policy.” It’s worth highlighting that Blinken’s tweet encouraging Turkey to advocate for a cease-fire was published a day after the Free Beacon published the State Department’s claim.
The Biden administration’s demand that Israel — which radical Islamists have been attempting to annihilate since its founding — lay down its arms and negotiate with terrorists is stunning when considering that these same officials have openly encouraged the exact opposite policy when it comes to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While giving a speech in Finland in June, for example, Blinken pressed U.S. allies to not support a cease-fire or peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow, arguing that Ukraine must be “stronger” and “capable of deterring and defending against any future aggression” before it can, as the Associated Press described, “negotiate on its own terms.” The U.S. secretary of state also claimed in March that countries’ push for a cease-fire in Ukraine could be “a very cynical trap” allowing Moscow to maintain control of Ukrainian territory it acquired during its invasion.
So, why is the Biden administration demanding a cease-fire in Gaza but not Ukraine? Sure, the situations are different, but if peace is the ultimate objective, shouldn’t Biden and his team be pushing Ukraine to make peace with Russia in the same way they’re encouraging Israel to engage with Hamas?
Whatever the motivation may be, the difference in approach is unsurprising given the Biden administration’s anti-Israel foreign policy. Continuing the trend from the Obama years, the Biden White House has routinely propped up Iran at the expense of Israel, including waiving sanctions and unfreezing billions of dollars worth of Iranian assets. The administration has even gone out of its way to smear a set of benign changes to Israel’s judicial system put forward by the nation’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
And who could forget Biden’s decision to play footsie with Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists occupying the Gaza Strip upon taking office?
Israel deserves a reliable America to support it in its most desperate hour of need. Instead, it’s left with a mentally deficient U.S. president whose administration props up the very terrorists financing horrific attacks against its people.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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