Harris’ incoherent Middle East strategy

OPINION:

Hamas’ execution of six innocent hostages, including an American, is a gut-wrenching, harrowing reminder of the savagery inflicted upon Israel last Oct. 7 by the Iran-backed terrorist group. It also exposes the folly of the Biden-Harris administration’s pressuring Israel — as it did again even as the murdered hostages were being buried — and not Hamas’ backers Iran and Qatar.

That Hamas still holds hostages is due partly to the Biden-Harris administration’s misguided pressuring of Israel to end the war prematurely. It has backfired and has only prolonged the war and its consequences.

Despite coming firmly to Israel’s defense in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and again when Iran has directly threatened Israel, the Biden-Harris administration has been fixated on forcing Israel to end the war, even if it means Hamas survives to control the Gaza Strip, to ensure electoral support from its progressive base in November. It has accused Israel of war crimes, despite its own investigation not being able to find any, has accepted Hamas casualty numbers and suspended key weapons shipments to Israel.

Perhaps most momentously, the administration heavily pressured Israel not to enter Rafah, the last stronghold of Hamas forces and its key transit area for supplies. Vice President Kamala Harris said in March that it would be a “huge mistake” for Israel to invade Rafah, that there would be “consequences” if it did because she has “studied the maps” and there’s “nowhere” for the Palestinians to go. Yet Israel evacuated over 1 million Palestinians in a couple of weeks in May with minimal casualties, and it found the six executed hostages in a tunnel in Rafah, a kilometer from where it rescued an Israeli Arab hostage last week.

Israeli military and political leaders are responsible for not invading Rafah sooner, but President Biden and Ms. Harris heavily contributed to a costly delay of several months. It prolonged the war, reduced the odds of more hostages surviving, emboldened Hamas to withhold concessions, led to more suffering among Palestinian, undermined Israel’s ability to confront Lebanon-based Hezbollah and seemingly eliminated the chances for Saudi-Israel normalization, at least before November.

Mr. Biden has now berated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for not doing enough toward a cease-fire, as Israel buried the six hostages and after it made tough concessions and agreed to various U.S. “final” plans.

While pressuring Israel, the Biden-Harris administration has gone easy on Iran. Even since Oct. 7, the administration has unfrozen billions of dollars in assets for Iran, barely retaliated after Iran’s repeated attacks that killed three U.S. soldiers and done little to stop Iran-backed Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which has closed key waterways, all while Iran approaches nuclear weapons capability. No wonder Hamas didn’t fear murdering the American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, whose parents just spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

Mr. Biden said that he was “heartbroken” and that “Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes,” while Ms. Harris said Hamas “must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza.” (Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Ms. Harris’ running mate, walked away when asked for his reaction.)

Those sentiments, while welcome, aren’t enough. As we wrote days after the Oct. 7 attack, the Biden-Harris administration needs to do three things to improve the chances hostages are returned alive, advance regional security and restore U.S. credibility:

First, support Israel to the hilt. This means giving it the weapons it needs to finish off Hamas, prepare for a war against Iran’s chief proxy, Hezbollah, and strike Iran’s nuclear program, such as 2,000-pound bombs, precision-guided munitions and KC-46 aerial refueling tankers. It should also conclude a U.S.-Israel mutual defense treaty. If Mr. Biden doesn’t do this as president, then either Ms. Harris or former President Donald Trump should when she or he becomes commander in chief. 

Second, hold Iran accountable. Stop unfreezing assets and instead enforce sanctions on Iran so that it stops reaping tens of billions of dollars in revenue selling oil to China. Leading Iranian military commanders, especially those involved with proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, must pay for their crimes. The United States must hit Iran hard, just as Mr. Trump had Qasem Soleimani killed in 2020.

Third, pressure Qatar. This should include setting clear timelines by which Qatar must expel Hamas leaders and get them to release the hostages. If Qatar does not comply, the U.S. should reduce its presence at its military base, and Qatar should lose its status as a “major non-NATO ally.” Any state that harbors terrorists who kill Americans is no U.S. ally.

Israeli society is enduring a lot of pain and struggling to find the correct complex balance of freeing its hostages while securing its borders. For the U.S., it’s simpler: Support Israel and pressure Iran and Qatar. That will help free hostages, including seven remaining Americans, and advance U.S. security interests.

• Michael Makovsky, a former Pentagon official, is president and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. Blaise Misztal is the institute’s vice president for policy.