As POTUS brain errors pile up and spill over, Israel would be wise to taken the Chief of Gaffe with a scoop of ice cream
In yet another display of bewildered confusion, President Joe Biden Thursday implored Israel, “Don’t move on Haifa!”—a statement that has left diplomats and citizens alike scratching their heads, and real estate and travel agencies checking their portfolios. Haifa, Israel’s bustling port city and third largest municipality, seems an unlike likely candidate for an Israeli invasion.
He went on to clarify his perplexing order issued to the Israelis to attack their port city, mumbling: “It’s just not…. I mean… anyway.”
Yet, Biden’s latest demented faux pas is just the most recent in a series of embarrassing blunders that highlight his rapidly declining disconnect from reality.
His absurd warning is now the norm, not the exception. Everywhere he goes, Biden muddles names, places, and even historical timelines in his public addresses, both off the cuff and off teleprompter. From confusing Mexico with Egypt and Ukraine with Gaza, to misidentifying French President Emmanuel Macron as François Mitterrand and calling him the leader of Germany, and calling his own wife the President as he runs again for … Senator.
Biden’s gaffes are not just diplomatic slip-ups. They are symptoms of dementia. And they are the fodder for international ridicular and an abiding embarrassment for the world’s superpower.
Israel, facing existential threats, can hardly afford to take guidance from an addled Alzheimer patient. While the U.S. remains a crucial ally, and has come repeatedly to the aid of the Jewish State when push comes to shove, the government must now navigate a delicate dance, without a presidential partner.
On one hand, they must maintain strong ties with the power brokers behind the U.S. administration, those who craft the policies and hold the puppet strings. On the other hand, they have to manage the public face of this alliance, represented by the husk called Biden, whose directives may as well be humored and sidestepped as necessary.
The strategy moving forward for Israel should perhaps involve keeping the U.S. President content with symbolic gestures—perhaps a photo op with an ice cream cone—while ignoring his “do’s” and “don’ts”. In doing so, Israel would be safeguarding its strategic interests while maintaining the essential support of its stalwart bipartisan ally without being dragged into the quagmire of political.
As Biden’s tenure wanes, and his brain declines, his administration’s influence on international policy and diplomacy will be increasingly marred by his personal misrepresentations and misunderstandings. For Israel, the message is clear: engage with the U.S., working with the defense secretary and the US military, but be very wary of interactions with the bumbling and burbling dingaling at the top, focusing instead on the substantive behind-the-scenes dialogues that shape actual policy in wartime.
In the grand theater of international politics, Biden is no longer Commander-in-Chief. He is not even a ceremonial figurehead. He is not even a jester. He’s not even a joke. He’s the butt of a joke.
Did I ever tell you the one about Uncle Ambrose, Brosy, shot down (he wasn’t) over New Guinea (way off the coast), and believed eaten by cannibals (no, he drowned). Biden keeps telling this story, over and over. No kidding. At least he eats ice cream, not corpses. At least so far.
For Israel, the play is familiar, and the actors behind the scenes are known. As the Jewish nation faces the greatest life-and-death trial of its history, the task now is to perform its role with diplomatic grace.
Leave aside the open question of whether Biden was even legitimately elected, Israel needs to grit its teeth, hold its horses, and wait eight months for a replacement.
We are not the only ones who see that the Emperor has no clothes. Israel must acknowledge the pathetic reality of the abcess in the Oval Office. We should show gratitude for America’s genuine and stalwart backing and cooperate in mutual defense. Thus may we keep the peace and fight the wars in which we find ourselves, advancing our essential interests, one careful step at a time.
Joe will be happy to lick his cone, wherever he is. I can recommend a great ice cream shop on the Haifa promenade. If he changes his mind and lets us move there.
It’s unfortunatel Presiden Biden is experiencing such terrible confusions since up until a few years ago he was much clearer in his comments and made well-designed statements that addressed the heart of an issue. He’s not alone. My personal friends are in their 80’s, some of them are showing signs of dementia while others are still quite sharp. Even Trump has made his gaffes in comments recently and prior to his leaving office. In one case while in India during discussions with the prime minister he failed to realize that India shared a 2000 mile long border with China. That’s elementary school geography. Does he mean to say he didn’t know that? The comment stunned the prime minister. Leaders around the world are well-educated, well-informed and pretty sharp in their cognitive abilities and decision-making. It’s a shame American leaders often do not match the mental acuity of their peers holding office in foreign countries.