President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and Jordan on Wednesday to meet with Israeli and Arab leaders as concerns grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could expand into a larger regional conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Biden’s trip to Israel as the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip worsens and as Israel prepares for a possible ground attack on the territory of 141 square miles (365 square kilometers) to eliminate Hamas. militants responsible for what US and Israeli officials say was the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust.
Biden seeks to send the strongest message yet that the US stands behind Israel. His Democratic administration has pledged military support, sending US carriers and aid to the region. Officials have said they would ask Congress for more than $2 billion in additional aid for both Israel and Ukraine, which is fighting the Russian invasion.
It’s an opportunity for Biden to tout his national security credentials to American voters with the 2024 election just over a year away. It is also a chance to show that he is making good on his campaign promise to exercise American leadership after four years of former President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy.
But Biden’s presence could be seen as a provocative move by Hamas’ main backer, Iran, or potentially seen as tone-deaf by Arab nations as civilian casualties mount in Gaza. Blinken has already traveled across the Middle East in the past week trying to prevent the war with Hamas from starting a wider regional conflict.
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