President Biden’s last chance to end the Gaza nightmare

Currently, Palestinians are struggling not only for self-determination and freedom from occupation, but also for daily survival. In Gaza, they are desperate for safety from bombs and war and must struggle to meet their daily needs for food and water amid the onset of famine. As the Israeli army moves into many areas of Rafah, which was the last refuge for more than a million civilians, the brutal truth is that no place is safe.

American foreign policy now finds itself at an inflection point. President Biden has one last opportunity to put the United States on the right side of history. Where is the young politician who, in 1986, gave such a passionate speech against the injustices of South African apartheid? Could President Biden remember these commitments to human rights and finally take decisive action to end this war? Can he finally end the supply of military weapons to Israel and use American influence to help save the Palestinian people?

There is a very limited window of time during which President Biden can demand that the Israeli government change its course of action. As an American Christian leader who has spent many years working for Israeli-Palestinian peace, I would like him to recognize the common humanity of the Palestinian people as well as the Israeli people.

This moment offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to forge a new approach to foreign policy – ​​one that truly prioritizes human rights and peacemaking, instead of alienating young, Muslim voters. and Arabs and the millions of American Christians committed to justice and peace. for Palestinians and Israelis.

The crisis is obvious to all. Students and teachers across the United States are protesting to demand an end to the devastation. A population of more than two million people is suffering horribly and the region has never been further from peace. Now is the time for clear and decisive leadership from President Biden.

He must stop equivocating and make clear that the IDF’s continued assault on Rafah, which could cause countless civilian deaths in addition to the thousands already lost, is unacceptable. For the sake of Israelis, Palestinians and the United States, the president must do whatever it takes to end the war and the killings.

Much is being made of the Biden administration’s decision last week to suspend the shipment of heavy munitions to Israel, including highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs that leave 40-foot craters and scatter shrapnel over over 1,000 feet. This is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but it is still far from enough. The sending was not canceled but only “paused”. The pause also has no impact on the $26.4 billion in security aid to Israel passed by Congress last month, which included billions for the purchase of advanced weapons systems and the production of artillery and ammunition. Imagine being a Gazan in Rafah. Would news of a temporary pause in providing a delivery of a particular type of bomb – a pause that Israel believes will not impact its objectives – be something to celebrate?

The president must show that he will no longer support an endless war that continues to expand day by day. Concerned only with his political survival, Prime Minister Netanyahu made it clear that he did not care about the repatriation of the hostages and would continue the war at all costs. The tacit support of the United States and the continued shipment of weapons only reinforce this disastrous policy.

Israelis are deeply traumatized by the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7 and, more than seven months later, are still seeking the return of the remaining hostages. The bombings and ground invasion of Gaza have caused absolute devastation and devastation in the Gaza Strip, killing more than 34,000 people, including more than 14,000 children, and injuring more than 78,000. Violence and death have also spread to the West Bank. Hostilities spread to neighboring states, triggering a direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.

For the vast majority of Americans, including millions of American Christians, the prevailing sentiment in the face of this disaster is: “Enough is enough.” In the history of U.S.-Israel relations, virtually every time a U.S. president has put his foot down and backed up his rhetoric with firm conviction and action, the Israeli government has acquiesced. In 1973, the United States played a decisive role in encouraging Israel to negotiate an end to the Yom Kippur War with Egypt. In the early 1980s, President Ronald Reagan told Prime Minister Begin to “stop,” and shortly afterward, the First Lebanon War ended.

Israel’s invasion of Rafah and the entire war in Gaza must end. Otherwise, not only will thousands more civilians die, but Israel’s acceptance as a legitimate integrated power in the Middle East will be dealt a terrible blow.

If Biden doesn’t act boldly now, he never will. With tens of thousands of people killed and many more at risk of the same fate, now is the last chance to end this madness.

Faced with such challenges, the American people are counting on President Biden to do his job – plain and simple: to be a bold and courageous leader. The president has the opportunity and the power to change the course of history. He has to use it.

The Rev. Mae Elise Cannon is the executive director of Churches for Peace in the Middle East, a coalition of more than 30 national congregations and church organizations.