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[Lonestarblue]

19. Biden can't stop the war in Gaza because he is not the Commander in Chief of the IDF.

But his stance supporting most of what Israel is doing is hurting him politically.

What he can do is take steps to communicate to Netanyahu and to the majority of Israelis who support him that the US has options and will take them. Biden is in a tough position because the AIPAC lobby supports anything Netanyahu wants to do, and they have always been an important factor in Democratic politics.

That said, Biden needs to communicate more strongly and publicly his empathy for what the Gaza Palestinians are going through. He has been strangely quiet on their plight. Some time ago, he did say that the US supports a two-state solution, but he has done nothing, publicly at least, to advance that option. Instead of waiting for Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza, which does not seem to be his plan anytime before our election, the US could announce a coalition to plan for a Palestinian state and start holding meetings. The concern has been that Palestinians do not have leaders for such a state who are not corrupt. Such leaders won’t be found if no one is looking for them or helping train them.

Waiting for Netanyahu is giving him de facto veto power on a Palestinian state. That is wrong. Palestinians deserve a state just as much as Israelis do, but that can only happen with significant support from the US, other Western powers, and nearby Arab nations. Announcing such a coalition now would be helpful while also recognizing the US commitment to a secure Israel. I believe both are possible but not as long as Netanyahu is killing innocent Palestinians and razing their land for future Israeli settlement. That is what has to stop.

And yes Hamas is a problem. Use higher level means to cut off their funding first. Then help the Palestinian people reject them by holding put something better for them—their own state.