Biden on Tightrope as Global Opinion Turns Against Israel's 'Siege' of Gaza, Says Ex-Senator

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden is on a tightrope amid the global position turning against Israel’s military operation in Gaza, former Virginia State Senator Richard Black told Sputnik.

"Gaza is totally blockaded, without food, water, electrical power, communications, or medical supplies. Some are questioning how long Israel’s reprisals can continue before becoming excessive under the Law of Land Warfare," Black said.

"More importantly, global opinion is turning against Israel’s siege, which has already killed more than twice as many Arabs as the Israelis lost. Biden is on a tightrope."

Black went on to say that Biden now faces a sharp clash between two of the Democrat Party’s most important blocs: Muslims and Jews.

"Their stark divide is a daunting political challenge for him," Black said.

Black pointed out that while in Israel, Biden tried to appeal to the two opposing factions.

"He expressed unwavering support for Israel, promised massive new military aid, and touted the naval fleet gathering offshore to prevent others from intervening on the side of Hamas," he said. "The president’s emotional speech whipped up sympathy for the murdered Israelis, but it also urged Israel to recognize that most Palestinians were innocent."

Besides, Black added, Biden said he would provide Gaza with $100 million in humanitarian aid and said the US was arranging for relief supplies to cross from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.

"To satisfy major Jewish donors, the president must permit Israel to wage an unrestrained siege campaign for as long as possible," Black said.

However, Black pointed out, the siege will undoubtedly lead to the starvation, death by thirst, and aerial slaughter of thousands of Palestinians, most of them civilians.

"While the siege rages, the president must appear sympathetic toward innocent Palestinians in order to assuage the rising anger evident in pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupting around the world," he said.

Considering boosted military assistance to Israel, Black thinks, that "war hawks" hope this conflict will trigger a vast new Mideast war.

"Their reputations have suffered from a series of failed foreign ventures, including devastating wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Decades of unprovoked conflicts have damaged America’s global reputation," he said. "Together with the failed war in Ukraine, the neocon’s plans have weakened America’s moral standing and shaken its finances."

Black also said the attack by Hamas gives neocons a chance to burnish their tarnished prestige.

"They hope to expand the war into Iran, Lebanon, and Syria, despite reliable intelligence that none of these were complicit in the attack by Hamas," he added. "Indeed, US intelligence showed that they were taken completely by surprise."

On October 7, Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise large-scale rocket attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip and breached the border, killing and seizing people in neighboring Israeli communities. Israel launched retaliatory strikes and ordered a complete blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, cutting off supplies of water, food and fuel. The escalation of the conflict has resulted in thousands of people killed and injured on both sides.