President Joe Biden’s policy on the Israel-Gaza War is increasingly ineffective and incoherent. With one hand he calls on Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu to stop blocking humanitarian aid and refrain from a major ground attack on Rafah, which humanitarian experts warn would be catastrophic. On the other hand he’s sent over 100 shipments of arms to Israel since Hamas’ horrendous attack on October 7 and Israel’s wildly disproportionate attack on Gaza killing over 30,000 civilians. Israel is using this U.S. military aid to starve and kill civilians.

Biden has stated that Israel’s plans for a massive attack on Rafah—where over 1 million civilians are sheltered—is a “red line” which should not be crossed. Within 20 minutes Netanyahu spat in Biden’s face, promising to defy Biden’s red line and set up his own. Biden was caught on a “hot” mic stating that it’s time he has a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with Netanyahu over policy in Gaza.

But Bibi is making Biden look like a weak chump. It’s clear that Biden’s words will have no impact on Bibi who has devoted his political career to blocking Palestinian sovereignty and expanding Israeli settlements. But Biden has real political power over Bibi if he’s willing to stand up for his stated principals. He can suspend offensive military aid to Israel until Bibi changes Israeli policy in Gaza.

As The Guardian reminds us that President Ronald Reagan stopped Israel’s 1992 bombing of Arab civilians in Lebanon in its tracks. That summer Israel carried out an all-out assault on Beirut, cutting off food, water and power in an attempt to destroy the PLO, whose fighters were hiding in a tunnel network under the city. Then on August 12, dubbed “Black Thursday,” Israel bombed Beirut for 11 straight hours, killing more than 100 people. Reagan phoned right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to “express his outrage” and condemn the “needless destruction and........

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