Israel’s military campaign in southern Lebanon is failing. As Israel runs out of options, the U.S. is scrambling for a way out of the Lebanese quagmire — including by reviving hopes for a Gaza ceasefire.
History has shown that a U.S. president can start de-escalating an unpopular war to help their party. It happened in 1968, but will Joe Biden continue prioritizing Israel over defeating Donald Trump?
Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire in Lebanon include allowing Israel to operate inside Lebanese territory against Hezbollah and freedom of movement for Israel’s air force in Lebanon’s airspace.
On October 18, two U.S. intelligence documents on a potential Israeli attack on Iran were leaked, one describing shifting missile deployments, and the other detailing possible Israeli rehearsals for a strike on Iran.
The Uncommitted Movement voluntarily gave up its leverage but it is not too late to hold Kamala Harris accountable for supporting the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
A letter from the Biden administration to Israel this week threatening to possibly withhold weapons raised hopes among some, but the delivery of a missile defense system and deployment of U.S. soldiers sent the real message.
The devastation from Hurricane Helene and Israel’s escalation in the Middle East may not seem connected, but they are linked through the United States’s commitment to mass militarization and refusal to work toward a just global future.
The mood in Washington today is similar to 2003 when the neocons of the Bush administration sought to remake the Middle East. This time, a joint vision shared by Israel and the Biden administration seeks to remake the region in the West’s vision.
![Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 16, 2023. [State Department photo by Chuck Kennedy]](https://mondoweiss.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/53265936689_6648951447_h-260x200.jpg "What are the Biden administration’s motivations in the Middle East?")
Mondoweiss spoke to analyst Mouin Rabbani about U.S. motivations in the Middle East and why the Biden administration fully supports Israel’s escalations against Lebanon and Iran.
As Israel intensified its deadly attacks on Lebanon, the U.S. moved more troops to the Middle East. The move shows Joe Biden’s priority is not to avoid escalation but to ensure that Israel has full impunity.