Media Analysis

When Biden was 30, he warned Golda Meir against ‘creeping annexation’ and faulted Senate for blind support for Israel

A few weeks ago we reported that in 1982, Senator Joe Biden had taken on an Israeli prime minister over the unending settlements project: in an angry exchange on Capitol Hill, Biden warned Menachem Begin that Israel was undermining its political support in the United States. Reports are that the discussion was “bitter,” Biden slammed a desk with his fist, and Begin accused him of threatening Israel.

Biden surrogates have gone out of their way to quash this story as “false”.

Well now there’s fresh evidence that as a young senator, Joe Biden was critical of the settlements policy. In 1973, when Biden was 30 years old and a freshman senator, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir and confronted her over the same issue.

Official notes of that meeting in Hebrew were just published in translation by Channel 13 in Israel. From reporter Nadav Eyal’s twitter feed:

Golda Meir

Biden criticizes the Nixon admi[nistration] for being “dragged by Israel”. He says, according to this government memo, that there is no debate in the Senate about the ME [Middle East] because the Senators are “afraid” to say things that Jewish voters will dislike. (He SAYS THAT TO GOLDA)

He criticizes the Israeli labor platform arguing that it’s leading to a creeping annexation of the occupied territories. Considering Israel’s military dominance, Biden suggests it will initiate a first step for peace by unilateral withdrawals. This will be done from areas with no strategic importance- not the Golan.

Golda responds with a long speech about the history of the Zionist movement from its very establishment. The instability of Arab Regimes, the unfairness of SC [UN Security Council] decisions. Golda rejects Biden comments on the Labor platform, rejects his offers of unilateral withdrawal and continues to argue that Israel can make no major mistakes considering the situation of the Jewish people after the Holocaust.

The official making the notes remarked that Biden was full of respect to the PM yet his “enthusiasm as he as he spoke” signaled his lack of experience in the Diplomatic field.

Biden had come to Israel from Egypt, and forty days later, Egypt attacked Israel in the October 1973 war. Eyal comments, “Biden warning to the PM on the eve of the war that Israel must make some concessions is prophetic. Some historians argue that Golda’s refusal to consider Egyptian diplomatic initiatives led to war.”

The notes are fascinating because they show Biden taking a stand, but Biden himself has made shtik out of this exchange, often telling the story in a way to put himself down: Golda Meir lectured a young senator about the fact that Israel has “a secret weapon, we have no place else to go.”

The truth from this memo is that Biden at 30 held his own, and was obviously angered by Israeli policies, its unending settlements under a Labor government, and sought more debate about Israel’s actions in the Senate.

Just as he would be angry with Menachem Begin of a rightwing party when he was 39 years old.

Now Biden is 77 and has long since accommodated himself to Jewish voters and Israel’s expansion. His 2020 Democratic Party platform removed draft references to occupation and even settlements as such. It does oppose “settlement expansion” and “annexation” but assures Israel that we won’t cut aid to the country. Plus ca change

Biden has gotten used to being “dragged by Israel.” Though he knows better, or once did.

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Quite interesting.

I never thought Biden had it in him to argue strongly for principle of any kind.

Well, I guess that’s what fifty years in Washington do to you.

Speaking with Members of Congress about their position on Jerusalem, it generally becomes apparent most are aware Israel’s policies are not in the best interests of America. It also becomes apparent they are afraid of the consequences of saying so. Intuitively they know giving political support to Palestine makes them vulnerable. Palestinian leadership best understand how political this is. About more than being right. Creating safe ground for political support is key.

Settlements: if you put on your fright-goggles – they’re just like night vision goggles, just tuned to a different wavelength – you can clearly see the orange glow of fear emanating from several sectors of Israeli society. The security apparatchiks are afraid of annexation – full, partial or creeping. Watch this 3 minute interview with Ami Mr-Shin-Bet Ayalon:

https://en.cis.org.il/2020/04/15/ami-ayalon-former-shin-bet-calling-on-gantz-to-not-agree-to-any-unilateral-annexation/

For the record:

https://english.palinfo.com/news/2020/10/18/settlers-led-by-glick-assaf-storm-al-aqsa-courtyards

“Settlers, led by Glick, Assaf storm Al-Aqsa courtyards”
October 18, 2010

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM
“Dozens of Jewish settlers stormed the courtyards of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday led by extremist rabbi Yehuda Glick and Farid Assaf, the spokesman of the Temple Organizations, under heavy police protection and performed Talmudic rituals.

“Local sources reported that Yehuda Glick, the head of the so-called Temple Mount Heritage Foundation, and Farid Assaf, the spokesman of the so-called Temple Organizations, stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque yards, accompanied by more than 50 Jewish settlers.

“Glick was showing a live broadcast of the storming, and he and Assaf took photos in the courtyards of the Mosque, according to the sources. An altercation happened between Glick and some of the Mosque employees and Palestinian worshipers.

“Glick blew the shofar in the Bab al-Rahma cemetery adjacent to the Al-Aqsa Mosque while leaving the Mosque.

“The sources stated that the incursion started from the Magharabi Gate and ended at al-Silsila Gate during which Talmudic rituals were performed.

“Settler groups storm the Al-Aqsa courtyards daily from Sunday to Thursday during the morning round which lasts for three and a half hours and in the evening for one hour.

“Meanwhile, dozens of Muslim worshipers flocked to the Al-Aqsa Mosque today to pray al-Fajr (Dawn) prayer after an interruption of almost a month due to the closure under the pretext of the Jewish holidays and coronavirus pandemic.

“The settlers were allowed access into the Al-Aqsa while Muslims, living more than one kilometer away from the Mosque, were being prevented from entering it under the pretext of the lockdown.

“Jerusalemite activists warned that the racist Israeli policies against Palestinian Jerusalemites and worshipers, who are prevented from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque, are part of the plans to empty the Al-Aqsa Mosque and divide it.

“The Minbar Al-Aqsa Foundation reported that 373 settlers broke into the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the past week and during the Sukkot holiday.”

 

I encourage Joe Biden to pursue a modus operandi in the Gaza Strip, so that the siege can be put to an end. This is something that seems doable. God willing and Biden becomes president, the first two years Israel will be unstable because of Bibi’s unwillingness to let go of the reins of power and the Likud’s unwillingness to tell him to go. At some point the Bibi trial will lead to a conviction or an acquittal and at that time a greater degree of stability will be possible. If that situation is one of a new leader, that leader will try to prove his bona fides by standing up to american pressure if the usa tries to impose some sort of a solution on the west bank. but i believe regarding gaza and soon there is a possibility to establish a modus operandi. Unless someone believes that Hamas is about to be pushed out of power, in which case then it would be better to make a Gazan “peace” (modus operandi) with a nonHamas government. But it is difficult to believe that hamas and fatah are really going to hold elections. therefore i propose biden achieve progress in regards to the end of the siege and not wait for a change of power. (not really a change of power, but a transfer from a partisan government to a facade of a technocratic government.)