President Joe Biden sought to reaffirm the concept of "American leadership" on the global stage, amid ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, which have sparked significant international concern.
In his Oval Office address, President Joe Biden criticized "terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin" while expressing the United States as a global role model, despite a history of American intervention abroad that has contributed to unrest and terrorism in the Middle East and Afghanistan during the early 21st century. Biden's address followed a scaled-down wartime visit to Israel, which was originally intended to include a four-way summit with leaders from Washington, Amman, Cairo, and Ramallah. However, the summit was canceled by Jordan, representing a setback for the Biden administration's regional engagement efforts following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
During his visit to Israel, President Biden emphasized the importance of pursuing peace, acknowledging past U.S. "mistakes," including the invasion of Iraq on false pretenses, which resulted in the deaths of over 300,000 Iraqis, according to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. This invasion was preceded by the Afghan war, framed as a "war on terror," which ended in August 2021 with a chaotic American withdrawal, reinstalling the Taliban as Afghanistan's rulers. President Biden also applauded the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, a project announced at the New Delhi G20 summit, as a means to improve the future of the Middle East and enhance stability and connectivity in the region. He highlighted that such innovative projects would lead to more predictable markets, increased employment, reduced grievances, and benefit both the people of the Middle East and the United States.
We cannot—and will not—let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 20, 2023
I refuse to let that happen. pic.twitter.com/o2hGvfSNwu
Furthermore, President Biden expressed concerns about Hamas and Russia, characterizing them as threats to democracies. He pledged to seek congressional approval for substantial funding to support Ukraine and Israel, viewing it as an investment in strengthening the United States' position as a global leader. The White House is reportedly preparing a significant funding request to Congress, totaling $100 billion, which includes funding for Israel in its conflict with Hamas and support for Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia.
Before the address, President Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In Tel Aviv, he expressed support for Israel's efforts to counter Hamas, particularly in the aftermath of attacks by the Palestinian group on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,400 Israeli civilians. Biden is credited with helping facilitate the delivery of limited aid to the Gaza Strip through Egypt, as Israeli bombings had caused casualties, with at least 3,785 Palestinians killed, the majority of whom were civilians, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
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