Israel and Palestine have always had a bit of a turbulent relationship, to put things mildly. However, it would appear that it’s the season for wars as tensions have been escalating all over the world and it would seem that these sentiments have reached both Palestine and Israel. Now, in the spirit of fairness, it has to be stated that all wasn’t exactly well before the October 7 incident. But the heinous actions of that day put these two countries on a collision course that has claimed the lives of thousands so far.

In complete fairness to the incumbent President Joe Biden, the commander in chief of the U.S. Army and the Navy has been quite active when it comes to rendering financial and moral aid to its ally, Israel. Biden went as far as endorsing the release of more than $2 billion to the country only a few days after the Hamas attack to help the nation cope with the loss and shore up its defenses. This is in addition to the $3.8 billion that he usually disbursed to Israel every year. He followed this up a few days later by lodging a formal request to Congress for the release of $14 billion to further support Israel. 

On the surface of it, it would certainly seem like the current president is doing everything to address the situation. However, that itself may be the problem. So far, Biden has offered military aid to the Israeli government, but it has done virtually nothing else beyond that. If nothing else, he has gotten overtly more critical of their position in the Israel-Palestine conflict as this issue has dragged on. If you’re wondering why this is a major concern, the answer is simple; in a war situation as long-standing, nuanced and volatile as what is happening between Palestine and Israel, half-support can be as dangerous as no support at all.

These policies will certainly continue on a Harris-lead adminstration.

Let’s consider one scenario that perfectly encapsulates the current circumstances. Not too long ago, the Biden-led administration covertly (but nevertheless stoutly) held a position that they would cease to be as forthcoming with military aid to Israel if the Israeli government didn’t guarantee that food and medical supplies would reach the war-torn people of Gaza.

Now, is this position a sound and humanitarian one on the part of Joe Biden? It most certainly is. However, in taking such a position, Biden isn’t fully taking into account the intimate relationship between the people of Gaza and Hamas – the terrorist cell that Israel is trying to crush. Joe Biden is choosing to willfully ignore the fact that any and all supplies that are sent into the Gaza Strip will inevitably find their way into the waiting hands of Hamas. This leads us to ask another important question; how reasonable is it to ensure that one side has the military capabilities to devastate the other while ensuring that the other side has just enough resources to continue to withstand the onslaught? How is Biden’s position and action on this issue, not just another way of stylishly escalating the situation and betraying an ally and loyal nation?

So far, quite a lot has been said about what President Biden is doing and shouldn’t be doing. But is there any real evidence to suggest that Trump’s take on this whole affair would be vastly different? Yes, there is! And, we only have to look at his first time in office to find all the evidence that we need on that front.

Let’s start with the Abraham Accords. This was a policy that the then-Trump-led administration put in place in an attempt to actively foster peace between states in the Middle East. It must be stressed that the full scope of this policy fell short of Trump’s aspirations but it should also be noted that he gave this his all and, for a while, this policy actually worked. The indication of this is that, limited though it might be, Trump does understand how to efficiently manage the affairs of this region. As a mediator, he probably could’ve done better. However, he did manage to do a lot more than many of those who came before him and the one who entered office after him.

Were Trump in Biden’s position right now, he would fully grasp the short and long-term consequences of not giving Israel full support in its war against Palestine. In the interest of transparency, Israel isn’t exactly a victim here, as the Netanyahu-led administration could’ve taken a less hawkish stance on so many Palestine-related affairs. However, the events of October 7 are woefully uncalled for as a response to any perceived wrong Israel could’ve inflicted on the people of Gaza. Because, the moment we start to justify murdering children and raping women, we cross a line that can never be uncrossed.

Trump understands that, at this point in time, Israel needs unwavering support to subdue Hamas. From that point, negotiations on how to achieve lasting peace can come in. The idea of arming one side and giving the other “humanitarian” aid to help them keep fighting is outright folly that’ll come with severe repercussions further down the road.

We need a leader who will be active, vocal, and decisive on these matters, and Biden has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can’t be that. Trump can be though. He not only has the better approach to dealing with the conflict between Israel and Palestine, but he has the gumption to back up his position too!