Staff Reports
President Biden had the audacity to proclaim that “the guns in Gaza have gone silent” while patting himself on the back for striking a cease-fire deal with Hamas. This announcement coincided with the release of three Israeli hostages, an event billed as a momentous occasion during his Sunday visit to a church in South Carolina. The irony of the president celebrating peace while his administration has been linked to some questionable foreign policy decisions is hard to miss.
Biden appeared to channel his inner peacemaker by drawing connections between this recent cease-fire and a previous agreement he championed just months earlier. It seems that whenever the administration finds itself in a jam—whether it’s falling poll numbers or international criticism—Biden suddenly becomes the harbinger of peace in the Middle East. Meanwhile, while he sings the praises of cooperation and humanitarian aid, hundreds of trucks laden with assistance are entering Gaza, but one wonders how much of that aid will make it to those who need it most.
In typical Biden fashion, he highlighted the emotional narratives of those involved, emphasizing the ordeal faced by the three Israeli women—Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher—who spent 470 long days in captivity. While it is indeed a relief to see these hostages returned, one can’t help but notice the pattern of hostage diplomacy that has become a backbone of this administration’s foreign policy. Is negotiating over human lives really something to celebrate? One could argue that it speaks more to a reactive rather than proactive approach.
Biden remarks on start of Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal as three Israeli hostages are releasedhttps://t.co/DCybTH1eBn pic.twitter.com/0qGrSFlidj
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) January 20, 2025
Biden also hinted at future releases, stating that additional hostages would be set free at regular intervals. The plan includes freeing four more women next week and then a rolling release of three hostages every seven days thereafter. This approach raises questions about what concessions are being made in exchange for these releases and whether those in power truly have Israel’s best interests at heart. The ethos that one should negotiate with terrorists didn’t quite capture the enthusiasm of many Americans.
Finally, the president claimed credit for a “principled and effective policy,” a phrase one might find amusing given the obstacles faced by U.S. foreign affairs both at home and abroad. He went so far as to suggest that the incoming Trump administration would now carry on this delicate balance of peace. How quaint that Biden can assert his administration’s success in these negotiations without recognizing that a substantial portion of his foreign policy legacy is still under scrutiny and debate. One can only hope that America will soon reclaim a clear and steadfast approach to these volatile international relationships moving forward.
