After Sinwar's Death, President Biden Must Flex His Power For A Ceasefire

With the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, President Biden can finally end Israel's genocide and help Kamala Harris, but only if he flexes his power and chooses to stop helping Bibi.

(Picture: Alamy)

With Israel confirming it has killed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas and one of the architects of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed over 1,200 Israelis, President Biden has his best opportunity to use his leverage to implement a ceasefire, return the Israeli hostages, and help Kamala Harris win the 2024 election. 

Over the past year, President Biden has enabled, supported, armed, and funded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reckless and belligerent war that has now expanded to include the West Bank, Syria, Lebanon, and with targets set on Iran. Biden has been complicit as Bibi has flagrantly crossed every single one of Biden’s alleged “red lines.” This includes rejecting a two-state solution, expanding settlements in the West Bank, and continuously killing civilians. Every day the world witnesses a new horror in Gaza, the most recent being an Israeli strike on Al Aqsa Hospital in which we saw patients with IV lines in their arms being burned alive. In addition to killing Palestinian women and children, Israel has also killed UN personnel, journalists, doctors, humanitarian workers, US citizens, and Israeli hostages. 

In the summer, Israel assassinated Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran. Last month, Israel assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrullah in an airstrike in Beirut. In addition to eliminating these threats, Israel has also killed over 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza, over 2,000 people in Lebanon, and several hundred in the West Bank. The overwhelming majority of these casualties have been civilians. Israel has also displaced more than a million people in Gaza and Lebanon and created a man-made humanitarian crisis and famine in Gaza due to a blockade of food, water, and energy.

With Sinwar’s death, Israel can easily claim “victory.” However, Bibi said earlier today the “War has not ended,” and added, “We will continue chasing our enemy until we have eliminated them all.” So, is the enemy now Lebanon? Palestinians in the West Bank, which Hamas does not control? Syria? Yemen? Iran? Will the U.S. be complicit in World War 3 and threaten our troops, allies, and national security? If so, why?

There’s a reason why the family members of the hostages are still protesting Bibi. They know he doesn’t care about them or the country. He only cares about staying in power and avoiding accountability. Meanwhile, his government is still populated with the most extreme Jewish supremacists who openly tell the world of their genocidal desire to cleanse the West Bank and Gaza. Bibi’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was convicted by Israel for inciting violence against Palestinians. His finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has proudly declared himself a Jewish fascist. They are all committed to the Israeli policy of “de-escalation through escalation.” 

Well, how is that working out?

The Gaza war has been President Biden’s greatest failure and will be an enduring stain on his legacy. He has been made to look weak, impotent, foolish, and utterly devoid of his trademark empathy when it comes to Palestinians. Furthermore, the war continues to be a drag on Kamala Harris and Democratic candidates ahead of the 2024 election. In the Rust Belt swing states, there are thousands of “uncommitted” voters who have said they want to vote Democrat but will withhold their vote to pressure President Biden to use his power to end the war. In Michigan, there are 3 times as many Lebanese Americans as Palestinians, and they are seeing innocent civilians and their family members being killed and displaced by Israel.

Yet Biden continues to unconditionally support Israel’s expanding war. And for what? For a war criminal, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who wants Donald Trump to win so he can fulfill his supremacist plans to annex the occupied territories. 

Kamala Harris seems to understand the assignment. Earlier today, she addressed the nation upon hearing of Sinwar’s death and said, “This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza. It must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people realize their right to dignity, security, freedom…” She’s repeating President Biden’s talking points, but she isn’t the President. It’s up to Biden to pick up the phone like Ronald Reagan did in 1982 upon witnessing Israel’s horrors in Lebanon on his TV screen. Specifically, Reagan described the massive Israeli airstrike on Beirut as a “holocaust.” Begin soon called Reagan back and agreed to a ceasefire. 

President Biden is the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s greatest superpower. Without America’s financial, military, or diplomatic support, Bibi and Israel could not continue this war. It’s up to President Biden to show some spine, leadership, and empathy for Palestinians, Lebanese, and Israeli hostages and flex his leverage and US law against Israel for committing war crimes with US weapons. With Sinwar’s death, President Biden can say, “Mission Accomplished,” and make it happen.

Let’s hope Biden picks up the phone and makes the call.