Joe Biden Caves on Israel

In the weeks that immediately followed the 10/7 massacre, Joe Biden said all the right things. He expressed his support for Israel’s absolute right of self-defense. He gave no succor to those within his party who tried to contextualize Hamas’s depravity or mute its psychological impact on the civilized world though the liberal application of antiseptic euphemisms. He promised to “make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself” against its enemies. “Israel must again be a safe place for the Jewish people,” he insisted. “And I promise you: We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that it will be.”

These aspirations didn’t survive prolonged exposure to progressive agitation. Biden’s unapologetic backing for Israel’s refusal to abide the genocidal regime on its borders mightily offended what the New York Times described as the “young, diverse Left,” which has captured so much of the Democratic Party’s support structure, from academia to labor unions. Biden’s moral convictions sent his job-approval rating among Democrats into a tailspin. Muslim activists warned the president in no uncertain terms that his support for Israel would cost him their votes and, with them, crucial states like Michigan. The politics of 2024 intervened, and Biden has adapted. So, it was perhaps inevitable that Biden would cave when confronted by a bearded woman affiliated with a group of anti-Zionist Jews.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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In the weeks that immediately followed the 10/7 massacre, Joe Biden said all the right things. He expressed his support for Israel’s absolute right of self-defense. He gave no succor to those within his party who tried to contextualize Hamas’s depravity or mute its psychological impact on the civilized world though the liberal application of antiseptic euphemisms. He promised to “make sure the Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself” against its enemies. “Israel must again be a safe place for the Jewish people,” he insisted. “And I promise you: We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that it will be.”

These aspirations didn’t survive prolonged exposure to progressive agitation. Biden’s unapologetic backing for Israel’s refusal to abide the genocidal regime on its borders mightily offended what the New York Times described as the “young, diverse Left,” which has captured so much of the Democratic Party’s support structure, from academia to labor unions. Biden’s moral convictions sent his job-approval rating among Democrats into a tailspin. Muslim activists warned the president in no uncertain terms that his support for Israel would cost him their votes and, with them, crucial states like Michigan. The politics of 2024 intervened, and Biden has adapted. So, it was perhaps inevitable that Biden would cave when confronted by a bearded woman affiliated with a group of anti-Zionist Jews.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.