President Biden was right to issue a statement this week marking the 100th day in captivity of many of the hostages kidnapped in Israel by Hamas militants on October 7. But what he didn't say shows a cowardly and chilling political calculation.
The president recognized the pain and suffering of the captives and their families. Of the more than 200 initially captured, Israel says about 100 remain hostages. The Hamas attacks that day left at least 1,200 dead.
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LZ Granderson
LZ Granderson writes about culture, politics, sports, and living life in America.
The attack also started a war, which the declaration evidently does not mention.
Israel's response to October 7 has killed more than 24,000 people in he Loop Band, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian authorities. No mention in the statement.
More than 50% of buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. Biden's 100th day message does not acknowledge that.
The United Nations is Warning about famine and disease in Gaza. due to the war that has been going on since October 7th. Not a word in Biden's statement.
Somehow, the White House came to the political calculation that it was better for Biden to ignore all the tragedies involving Israel. This feels unusually cold for a president known for his warmth.
It would have been possible for the White House to issue a different type of statement 100 days after the October 7 attack. Let's imagine a statement that shows empathy not only for the kidnapped civilians but also for the murdered, maimed and homeless. The people still held by Hamas deserve every effort to secure their release. They should always be in our thoughts. So should the hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza who are suffering due to Israel's bombing campaign and blockade.
There must always be a space in our reflections for the victims of war. It is that concern for all human life that informs the international laws and norms that give modern humanity a kind of safety barrier.
The omissions in the White House statement were deliberate. Biden chose not to acknowledge the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have died, many of them in places they were told would be safe, such as designated hospitals and shelters. As much as Israel's war depends on American weapons, it also depends on American silence. We Americans should not abdicate our role in the suffering caused by this war.
And yet, Biden's comments didn't even acknowledge the war.
“I will never forget the pain and suffering I have heard in my meetings with the families of the American hostages,” the statement said. “No one should have to endure even one day of what has happened, let alone 100. On this terrible day, I again reaffirm my promise to all the hostages and their families: we are with you. “We will never stop working to bring Americans home.”
I fully support those efforts.
However, the United States may have multiple priorities. The administration can fight for the release of the hostages while supporting Israel's right to defend itself while recognizing that civilians in Gaza are suffering through no fault of their own. The innocent victims of this war are not just the Hamas hostages or those killed in Israel on October 7, and we must be wary of any comments that claim otherwise.
Biden's statement on the 100th day is important because rhetoric becomes reality. Comments from lawmakers or presidents (or even candidates for those offices) will inform future foreign policy decisions, such as which nations to give weapons to. And those decisions have repercussions, such as tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
The White House was not wrong to focus most of its statement on the hostages and their families. Their lives are IThe last 100 days are almost unimaginable..
But so is the growing desperation in Gaza, and that is also a concern of the Biden administration. We cannot accept a scenario in which it is politically risky to recognize that there are innocent people who suffer.
