Has the U.S. Turned Its Back on Israel?

The state of security in modern Israel and its standing as a nation around the world has reached one of the lowest points in its 75 year history. Recent U.S. government actions reveal that political and American public support is waning on multiple fronts.

Last month, the Biden administration failed to provide a key vote in vetoing a United Nations resolution that demanded a ceasefire, without any preconditions for Hamas to release more than 100 hostages it had been holding since October 7 – the day that over 1,200 Israelis were massacred by Hamas. Despite earlier hostage exchanges, many men, women, and children are still being held hostage without release.

That U.N. resolution for a ceasefire was celebrated by key leaders in Hamas and Iran as a clear sign the Biden administration was parting ways with longstanding U.S. policy in solidarity with Israel and the Israeli government.

To further add to the political distance, on Thursday, April 4, President Biden called for “an immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “the overall humanitarian situation” was “unacceptable.” Indeed, the entire “U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined” by the Biden administration’s “assessment of Israel’s immediate action” to address the humanitarian conditions on the ground.

It would seem that the entire political table has shifted from one that favored Israel’s right to defend itself and to demand the immediate release of hostages to a new political calculus that appeases Hamas and gives the terrorist group the upper hand in foreign diplomacy. While Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that the U.S. government could change policy on Israel if they do not see changes soon, it is not immediately obvious what changes and what evidence the Biden administration is working from.

Virtually all information provided on the ground in Gaza, including humanitarian conditions, collateral damage, and casualties, come from Hamas-controlled and -backed entities that have everything to gain from propagating falsified reports and already have been untrustworthy in their reporting.

Regardless, it is clear that political priorities within the Democratic Party are changing even as the party is almost completely split on Israel during a critical presidential election year. According to the Pew Research Center, in December 62 percent of Democrats believed Hamas was mostly responsible for what happened on October 7. Today, more than 75 percent of Democratic voters disapprove of Israel’s handling of this war. Even Independents and Republicans are polling at historic lows when it comes to support for Israel and their confidence in current Israeli leadership.

The far-left wing of the Democratic party and the BDS movement — that is, Boycott-Divest-Sanction — has become far more mainstream and less fringe among Democrats in recent years. Even Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., now a moderate in today’s party, has called for new elections in Israel and a total replacement of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, something that would have been unthinkable just a few short years ago. The BDS movement is largely comprised of pro-Palestinian sympathizers, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who represents Dearborn, Michigan, the first Arab-American city in the United States.

The White House has its eyes on this key constituency largely due to Michigan’s prominent role as a battleground state in the 2024 election. More than 100,000 votes in Michigan’s Democratic primary in February remained uncommitted for President Joe Biden, a clear message that Democrats, including Dearborn Arab-Americans, were sending to the Biden campaign. They are withholding their support for Biden pending the outcome of the White House’s handling of the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

Today, there is a push among Democrats in Congress to withhold military equipment and financial aid to Israel. The Biden administration and Democrats are not alone; a current proposal is being considered by the U.K.’s Foreign Secretary and former Prime Minister David Cameron to cut off military arms sales to Israel. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that idea would be “insane” and would be advocating for “the defeat of Israel and victory of Hamas.” Johnson said all Hamas needs to do is “hang on, rebuild, and go again. That’s victory for Hamas.”

Only time will tell.

House Republicans are working right now to pass a resolution in rebuke of the Biden administration’s failed support for Israel, but the time for public support may be running out. The IDF has postponed its long-anticipated ground operation in Rafah — a critical objective to defeating Hamas — until after talks with U.S. officials have concluded. The entire world now watches as Israel is at a political stalemate and is losing a propaganda war that is dominated by Western media.  

How should Christians think about this present crisis? Moral clarity is what’s needed most right now. Hamas is evil. Let’s be clear. Their insistence on using genocide, human sacrifice, and human body shields to defend, promote, and achieve their geopolitical ambitions should never gain the sympathy of anyone with a moral conscience. Christians must be outspoken about the realities of terrorism, violence, and fear that are being orchestrated and promoted by Hamas and have earned the praise of the most reprehensible advocates in the Western world. Christians cannot lack moral clarity when it is needed most right now.

We must speak up with courage. We must stand with the Israeli people, who are by now well acquainted with persecution, sorrow, and grief. Even as Israel stands alone, Christians must stand with them.

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