As leverage wanes, what can lame-duck Biden accomplish in Middle East?
As it seeks end-of-term wins in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the Biden administration must contend with an Israeli leader accused of waiting out the clock.
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WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s return to the White House has left the Biden administration with limited room to maneuver as it tries to stabilize a tumultuous Middle East before leaving office.
President Joe Biden’s waning influence on Israeli decision-making will be tested next week. Israel faces a Nov. 12 deadline set by the Biden administration to improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, including by increasing the number of aid trucks entering the Palestinian territory, or it will face potential restrictions on US-supplied military assistance. But with a Trump administration waiting in the wings, analysts say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be inclined to ignore the warnings on Gaza aid access.
Trump has suggested Netanyahu would have more leeway to pursue Israel's dual military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon were he to sit in the Oval Office. The returning president has accused Biden of trying to “hold back” Netanyahu in Gaza, where more than 43,000 people have died in the 13-month war and a majority of the population is displaced in worsening humanitarian conditions.
