The American response so far to the murderous terrorist attack of October 7 has made it clear beyond any doubt that the United States stands by Israel: the sending of aircraft carriers to the region, President Biden's seminal speech last week, Secretary of State Blinken's arrival in Israel, and his unusual participation in the war cabinet deliberations in the Kirya.
All these unprecedented steps attest to the steadfast support of the United States for Israel and its willingness to defend it should it be attacked by Iran or its proxies.
However, this could certainly have been sufficient (and even less) for the time being: President Biden's visit to Israel at this sensitive time may be interpreted as the opposite of what was hoped, and signal to Israel's adversaries an American vote of no confidence in Israel's ability to defend itself, especially since the parade of senior foreign officials to Israel in recent days requires considerable political attention, while it should be focused on managing the theaters of war and maximizing the preparedness of the home front – physically and mentally.
But above all, keep in mind that there are no free meals, and that widespread empathy comes with a price tag on its side and a ticking clock. Beyond expressing solidarity with Israel, warning signals to Tehran, concern for the fate of the abductees in Gaza, and the American desire to demonstrate that the United States remains the "world's policeman," the far-reaching American gestures are intended to ensure Israeli compliance and de facto American management of the crisis, striving for a quick end, and completely contrary to Israeli interests. For example, the Washington Post reported that Blinken waited for the announcement of Biden's visit until he received a commitment from Netanyahu that Israel would allow a humanitarian aid package to Gaza.
It is reasonable to assume that the brief visit will be devoted to intensifying pressure on Israel to separate future war measures against Hamas from the civilian population in Gaza and to allow it humanitarian relief such as fuel, water, and the entry of goods through the Rafah crossing.
But this demand is a concept in itself: our allies must understand that these are precisely the roots of the calamity inherent in the organization, which does not spare the civilian population in which it operates, uses it as human shields and frequently steals the aid provided to it. This is precisely the indissoluble sting of Hamas' modus operandi, and the enormous challenge inherent in dealing with it.
The far-reaching American gestures are intended to ensure Israeli compliance and de facto American management of the crisis, striving for a speedy end, and completely contrary to Israeli interests
It seems that on the one hand, the United States recognizes that Israel cannot afford to settle for a response along the lines of "Zbang and we're done," but on the other hand, pressure is already being exerted on Israel that contradicts the methods of action required by the war goals it declared. Thus, for example, toppling Hamas is not achievable without a broad and prolonged ground military operation, which would unfortunately involve harming non-involved civilians.
The collapse of Hamas also requires consistent pressure on Gaza's civilian population, since humanitarian aid cannot be allowed into civilians "in a way that does not benefit Hamas," as Blinken put it. "Full backing" means not only supporting the strategic objectives of the war, but also the courses of action required to achieve them. The only thing Israel really needs right now from our American partners is time.
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