The US Foreign Policy Establishment Looks to Restrain Israel

 As if in an orchestrated choir, leading voices in these publications have urged Israel to exercise restraint in its war against Hamas and U.S. policymakers to pressure Israel to pull back from its declared mission to destroy Hamas as an organized political entity.

Then came Thomas Friedman in the New York Times, who urged Israel to refrain from "Crazy" escalation of this war, accused the Netanyahu government of fracturing Israel's politics in a way that invited Hamas' attack, and called for Israelis to turn against Netanyahu's government, which is trying to "Abduct Israel's soul."

We must "Look beyond the crisis," he writes, and pressure Israel to "Offer Palestinians a viable path to statehood." An Israeli ground invasion will lead to "Civilian casualties," generate "Support for Hamas among Palestinians," and "Prompt an international outcry." It will also reverse Israel's improved relationships with other Arab states and may lead to an escalation by Hezbollah and Iran.

Haass praises President Joe Biden for his speech in support of Israel - absurdly calling it "Poetry." But he urges the president to warn Israel that a too-aggressive war policy will result in "Broad condemnation regionally and globally" and may "Create pressure" for Hezbollah to enter the fighting.

So as Israel responds to the war waged against it by Hamas and Iran - a war that has already taken more than 1,000 Israeli lives and at least 30 American lives - the U.S. foreign policy establishment choir sings the tune of restraint, negotiation, compromise.

"Citizens of Israel," he announced on Oct. 7, "We are at war. Not an operation, not a round of fighting, at war. This morning, Hamas initiated a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens." "The enemy," Netanyahu pledged, "Will pay an unprecedented price. We are at war and will win."

The voices of the U.S. foreign policy establishment choir will undoubtedly be echoed elsewhere, including in Israel.

https://spectator.org/the-us-foreign-policy-establishment-looks-to-restrain-israel/