The right is critical of Biden because he won’t give unconditional support to the Israelis in their war, as they see it, against the Palestinians (not just Hamas). The left is critical of him because he doesn’t value the lives of Palestinian civilians over his ultimate goal of a peaceful and prosperous Middle East with a moderate Palestinian state. The center generally agrees with his objectives, but wants to see more immediate protection of innocent civilians through the use of leverage. Since nobody is satisfied with the current approach, why won’t Biden change it?
I am convinced Biden believes that putting conditions on the use of American resources will damage his credibility with the Israeli public–not the current government, which is beyond redemption–when it comes time to talk about a reasonable political solution to Gaza. In the long run, he might be right, but in the short run, it is doing a lot of damage to him at home. The current policy, barring some conspicuous successes in the immediate future, is unsustainable. He is going to have to make some sort of dramatic statement about protecting civilians if he wants to keep the convention under control and the left on his side.