History will not be kind to Biden’s presidency

In less than two weeks, President Joe Biden will leave the White House, ending his one-term presidency, which analysts agree has left the long-time US politician frustrated and disillusioned about his legacy and achievements.

Biden, now 82, has already set many personal records that he would rather be omitted from history. His most prominent foe was his age and mental state; notably, his poor performance at last June’s presidential debate, which turned his world around, drove his closest allies to work against him and eventually forced him to pull out of the race.

This was not how things were supposed to work out. When he defeated the incumbent Donald Trump in 2020, Biden declared to the world that “America was back,” a direct snub to his predecessor, who had America’s allies and enemies baffled by his unpredictable and maverick leadership style. Biden vowed to reengage the US in global affairs, from defending democracy, law and order by opting for diplomacy over military interventions to protecting the environment and being at the forefront of addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, such as climate change.

The former vice president had no real answers to the global challenges that unfolded during his presidency

Osama Al-Sharif

However, the former US senator and vice president, who spent most of his life in Washington as a legislator, especially in foreign policy, had no real answers to the global challenges that unfolded during his presidency. Pundits are divided over his response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and whether his failure to address Vladimir Putin’s genuine concerns about Kyiv’s overtures with NATO contributed to Moscow’s choice of the last resort.

Now, after almost three years, Ukraine finds itself in a military stalemate despite receiving tens of billions of dollars and euros in military aid. Trump has vowed to end this war and it appears that a deal will come at Kyiv’s expense, handing Putin a costly victory.

Biden will be blamed for failing to engage Putin in a bid to save lives and ensure a state of detente in Europe. Since then, Europe has veered away from liberal democracy, as the far right has made significant gains in several key countries, including France, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

While the US’ hasty and embarrassing withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 has been blamed on his administration, it is fair to say that it was his predecessor who took the decision to end America’s most protracted and expensive war. The victory of the Taliban left the rest of the world wondering about the limitations of America’s military power.

In a shameless move, the Biden administration last week approved another $8 billion arms sale to Israel

Osama Al-Sharif

The Biden administration has failed to engage China and instead maintained the policies of his predecessor. Meanwhile, the US has done little to advance peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, while also failing to revive the nuclear deal with Iran.

But it is Biden’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel and Israel’s brutal response that will leave a lasting stain on his legacy. Biden’s initial support of Israel’s right to defend itself was understandable. Still, as Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government unleashed the most horrific firepower on one of the most heavily crowded population centers in the globe, the official US response to the massacre was ambiguous at first and complicit later on.

Israel has been accused of many appalling crimes since it declared war on Gaza. But it is the Biden administration’s indifference to the wanton killing of civilians, especially women and children, that has condemned America’s role in what is now being defined as genocide, the worst since 1945.

On Biden’s watch, Israel has carried out an extermination mission against the 2 million inhabitants of Gaza, targeting women, children, journalists, medics, doctors, relief workers, UN staff and academics. It has been accused of the deliberate bombing of safe areas, including schools and hospitals, ethnic cleansing, abducting thousands of Gazans, summary executions, torture, the sexual assault of women, men and children, and using starvation as a weapon, among other crimes.

Israel now stands accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Court of Justice and its prime minister is wanted on similar charges by the International Criminal Court. The Biden administration has condemned both legal bodies, while using America’s veto at the UN Security Council to thwart draft resolutions calling for an unconditional ceasefire. More than that, the US has sent Israel tens of billions of dollars-worth of military aid, including munitions that Tel Aviv has used against civilians in Gaza.

In a shameless move, the Biden administration last week approved another $8 billion arms sale to Israel, including bombs. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken knows that Netanyahu is the main obstacle to a deal to end the war and release Israeli captives, yet has done nothing to pressure him to embrace a deal, even one that is based on Biden’s proposal that Hamas had accepted.

Biden’s brazen and unapologetic support of Israel has divided the Democratic Party and damaged his chances — and later those of Kamala Harris — of uniting the party, while exposing the Zionist influence over US politics.

The reality is that the Biden administration could have done more to stop Israel’s killing spree, but chose not to. This means the US has become directly implicated in the Gaza genocide, the dehumanizing of Palestinians and the defense of a pariah and lawless state. Also, the Biden administration has undermined the international system the US itself built, sponsored and has maintained over the past seven decades. By applying double standards in its responses to the crises in Ukraine and Gaza, the US irrevocably damaged America’s so-called global leadership and its self-perception as a country guided by moral principles.

Biden leaves the White House with the death toll in Gaza nearing 46,000. But there are also tens of thousands of victims who remain missing, presumably under the rubble. The final death toll from Israel’s Gaza war may be double the announced figure. This ineptness has also caused the unnecessary death of tens of Israeli captives who could have been released many months ago. This failure can never be excused.

• Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010