Friday for Effect

18 October 2024

Thanks for the advice, Joe

Remember back in May when President Biden warned Israel not to go into the Hamas stronghold of Rafah?

A few weeks earlier, his VP told ABC News, “Any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake.”

Joe called it a “red line.”

"I made it clear that if they go into Rafah,” Biden said. “I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities."

He added, “We’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.”

By the time the president made that threat, the US had already halted a shipment of 500 and 2,000-pound bombs to the IDF.

Even back in May, I wondered why Rafah, of all places in Gaza, was off-limits in the eyes of the Biden-Harris administration. Did someone in the West Wing have family living there?

At the time (at least), the city along Gaza’a border with Egypt was home to the Rafah Brigade, a unit consisting of four battalions, totaling between 4,000 and 8,000 terrorists.

According to Bob Woodward’s new book, “War,” during an April phone call, Biden asked Netanyahu, “What’s your strategy, man?”

Netanyahu insisted to his American counterpart that Israel had to go into Rafah, as the IDF had identified the city as Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza.

“Bibi, you’ve got no strategy,” Biden replied, according to Woodward.

Roger that, Mr. President.

Yeah, so anyway, the IDF rolled into Rafah a few days later and, by the time it wrapped up the operation in September, had eliminated more than 2,300 Hamas fighters and uncovered nearly 13 miles of tunnels, including a 500-meter-long tunnel adjacent to a UNRWA school.

Badass PM Benjamin Netanyahu in an Armored Personnel Carrier in Rafah, July 18, 2024.

After learning that Israeli troops had entered the city, Biden said of Netanyahu, “He’s a fucking liar.”