OPINION:
Not long after the horrors suffered by Israel on Oct. 7, President Biden told the Jewish nation, “There’s no higher priority than the release and safe return of all these hostages.”
It is now months later, and there are still people held hostage, in life-threatening conditions, by Hamas. Mr. Biden seems to have forgotten them. Their lives are meaningless compared to his real top priority: getting reelected.
Why do I lay blame at the feet of the president? It is not Mr. Biden’s fault, after all, that the U.S. has given Israel tens of billions of dollars in military aid in recent year, and Israel is more vulnerable to attack than ever. It is not his fault that a whole generation of college students think the history of Israel began in 1967, nor that we stationed two massive aircraft carriers near that country and kept them there during a time of combat with terrorists.
No, I fault the president for making the wrong call. Here’s what he should have said:
“We will not rest until we have brought Hamas to its knees. In concert with our allies and seeking the help and succor of freedom-loving people everywhere, we will put an end to this barbarity — and get the hostages home.
“As president of the United States, I will do all there is in my power to stop this madness and will not rest until it is done.”
Once Hamas has surrendered, then we can talk about humanitarian assistance. We must stop Hamas and reunite the hostages with their loved ones.
JIM FRENCH
Dakota, Illinois
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