Despite the endless doomsday prophecies heard in recent years regarding the U.S.' weakening imperial status, and with all due respect to China's economy and the other countries claiming the global crown, much more is decided every four years than just the fate of America's citizens at polling stations. This is even more true at this volatile time, which could be defined retroactively as a third world war where nearly every bleeding battlefront across the globe was characterized by proxies doing the fighting.
Under this darkening cloud, the eyes of the world are following, whether worriedly or with longing, the chances of Donald Trump returning to the White House. Therefore, it is not surprising that international media have in recent days been reporting on the Gaza war's impact on U.S. President Joe Biden's chances of victory.
The bottom line, for now, is that the war in Gaza is enfeebling Biden, thereby bolstering Trump. Among the most progressive wing of Democrat voters, there is a daily burgeoning of criticism of his support for Israel. In Michigan, which has become emblematic of this problem due to the relatively large progressive Arab community there, Biden won this week's primary handily, with 80 percent of the vote. But over 100,000 Democrat voters chose to submit the "uncommitted" option as a specific protest against him, due to their explicit aversion to his Middle East policy.
Israel is not the only foreign policy issue for which he is sustaining internal-Democrat criticism. His infamous fist-bump in Saudi Arabia and the slowly dissociating attention given to Russia are perceived as weakness in terms of American values.
These issues are a serious warning sign for anyone remembering how the internal Democrat rift between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton contributed to the Trump disaster. Unanswered internal criticism after the primaries finish will ultimately lead to a divided camp, some of who stay at home when an emergency arises.
It's true that Trump's policy toward the Palestinians was awful, but given what is happening in Gaza under the Biden administration, increasing numbers of progressive columnists are wondering why he is preferable. They remind me of people on the Israeli left for whom there is "no difference" between the Lapid-Bennett and the Netanyahu-Ben-Gvir governments. Both of them are deemed abominable. It's true, the "government of change" was a disaster in many areas, but isn't a smaller evil sometimes better than utter evil?
The tragic and bewildering irony is that in the U.S., Biden is reaping increased criticism for supporting Israel, while here the government is ungrateful, with large parts of the public having quickly forgotten his stepping up to the plate with a historic and critical backing of Israel from the first day of the war. The Netanyahu government and its supporters have returned to the familiar pattern of ignoring Israel's true friends while pining for wolves disguised as friends.
Every recent decision taken by the U.S. administration is perceived by Israel's right wing as "anti-Israel." This includes the sanctions against violent settlers, the opposition to construction in the occupied territories, the return to a policy defining the settlements as illegal and the demand to send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
All of these make a clear distinction between Israel and the territories and are beneficial for Israel's future. Instead of listening to justified criticism from a president who has proved his friendship by going above and beyond at a time of crisis, Israel has turned into an ungrateful albatross around Biden's neck. People have too quickly forgotten that Trump's fake "friendship" was based on the votes of Evangelists who are praying for Armageddon. Perhaps like the one on October 7.