Biden’s visit to the Middle East: One hit, many misses
During President Joe Biden’s recent trip to the Middle East, he got one thing right: He affirmed the Abraham Accords.
These accords were a historic Trump administration accomplishment, achieving unprecedented peace between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. They had an immediate and dramatic effect — enabling, for instance, the first commercial flight from the UAE to Israel.
But he dramatically undercut this foreign policy success by backing a two-state solution and restoring American taxpayer-paid funding to Palestine.
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It’s important to understand what is at stake here: What has been gained, what we stand to lose, and why.
First, the Abraham Accords benefited the entire region, not just Israel. The entire region has enjoyed increased economic and academic benefits, not to mention the improvement in overall security. Trade between the UAE and Israel was greater than $1 billion in 2021 — and that figure, of course, excludes the trade encouraged between the other nations of the Middle East.
Morocco and Israel’s national libraries settled on a cooperation agreement as travel between the nations picked up. Artists and scholars are traveling freely. These are undeniable successes. Biden was wise to praise the accords that made this all possible.
The two-state solution, on the other hand, would put regional stability at risk. As others have pointed out, a sovereign Palestine would quickly pose a severe security risk for both Israel and Jordan. Extremists are not marginal figures in Palestine — they are in control.
What’s more, Palestinian violence toward Israelis has risen in recent days as the influence of Hamas increases. Emboldening them by extending international legitimacy to the two-state solution while failing to condemn their actions isn’t just imprudent, it’s dangerous.
Israel has a God-given right to defend itself on its own land. U.S. commitment to a dangerous, fragile, outdated geopolitical compromise undermines their ability to do so.
What makes matters worse is Biden’s decision to award Palestinians with U.S. taxpayer dollars. America has funneled nearly half a billion dollars into Palestine just since April 2021. That aid ostensibly goes toward humanitarian work, civil relief efforts and advancing “the rule of law,” but vast amounts of it in fact fund terrorist organizations.
It’s unfortunate that it must be said, but funding terrorist organizations is an egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars. It is also a grave foreign policy mistake, as it props up some of the most determined enemies of Israel, among our most precious and reliable allies.
Israel is the only true democracy in the Middle East, and a critical regional presence. It is the home of Judaism and Christianity, as well as a key strategic partner abroad. Its citizens deserve safety, and the whole world would benefit from a stable Middle East.
We must support Israel now, as we have done in the past. We cannot risk their safety — or the possibility of a stable, flourishing Middle East — for the sake of appeasing political radicals here in America.
Endorsing the two-state solution and providing taxpayer-funded aid to Palestinian extremists are unacceptably dangerous positions for a U.S. leader to take. Fewer than one in four Americans are confident in the presidency right now — and, it seems, for good reason.
Timothy Head is the executive director of the Faith and Freedom Coalition.
