I have always tried to instill in my children the lesson that when you’re wrong, you should be a big enough person to admit your mistakes and apologize. I want to be a good example and therefore I am doing something that I never thought that I would do. I would like to apologize to former US President Joe Biden, although I am not going to let myself be carried away. In any case, Mr. Biden, I’m sorry. I erroneously supposed that because you ran your own country under dual principles of sleaze and incompetence you were also responsible for the corruption and ineptitude in our country. Because you and your administration were openly hostile towards the Jewish state, blatantly and repeatedly trying to undermine it and bring it down, I assumed that you were the main source of our troubles. But you’re gone from the White House now. Packed away to whatever retirement home the Democrats choose to stick you in. Your days are being spent forgetting the names of world leaders in calm and tranquility. Meanwhile, your replacement came in. So far, besides being able to stay awake, he’s proven himself different from you in other ways as well. For one thing, he has thus far shown himself to be a stalwart supporter of Israel. When he came to power, the entire dynamic between the two countries changed. Early on, Trump grew angry that Hamas had violated the terms of the hostage exchange and effectively canceled the ceasefire deal, stating “As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock – I think it’s an appropriate time – I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break loose.” When pressed, he doubled down on his demand maintaining “I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday, and if they’re not returned – all of them, not in drips and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two. Saturday at 12 o’clock, and after that, I would say, all hell is going to break out.” Unfortunately, he gave Israel the final say over the decision, remarking that “I’m speaking for myself. Israel can override it, but from myself, Saturday at 12 o’clock, and if they’re not – they’re not here, all hell is going to break out.” Surely with such support, Israel would take quick and decisive action. This was an unheard-of opportunity, a completely unasked-for changing of the rules in Israel's favor. The government would be foolish not to take advantage of this unprecedented opening. Then the 12 0’clock deadline came and went without all the hostages being returned. And all hell, or even any hell at all, did not in fact break out. Despite not only having the green light, but actual encouragement of the United States, Israel chose not to do anything. The idea that anything at all should be done to save the hostages and the insane idea that the terrible agreements discussed during Biden's term and continued by Witkoff, had to be kept, prevailed. Like whipped animals, the government kept to the very letter of the agreement, releasing killers and allowing unchecked supplies to flow freely into Gaza. Each time Hamas committed a new outrage, some new unthinkable horror, the government of Israel simply condemned it and kept to the course. But if our leadership did not press the issue, it soon became clear that President Trump would not drop the subject. He seemed genuinely and deeply moved each time a new batch was released with his commenting at one point “You just wonder about the condition of the hostages that they have. One group came in so bad, it looked like it was a concentration camp in Germany.” It’s not just Trump. The entire US government seems to be on board. In a recent video, Secretary of State Mark Rubio reinforced America's unwavering support: "You can always count on us - as long as I'm in the State Department and Trump is in the White House." And his VP, JD Vance shared “My message to the hostages - President Trump loves you and will not rest until all the hostages are released.” Most recently, Adam Boehler, President Donald J. Trump’s Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, told CNN Hamas should release all the remaining hostages “or they are going to face total annihilation.” Compared with the statements by some of our own leadership, or the straight-out silence from some quarters, it almost appears that the American government cares more about Israel’s welfare than we do. It's telling, or just a way to implicitly criticize Netanyahu, that the released hostages are not only thanking Trump for their deliverance, but begging him for help in releasing their fellow captives. It's also true that Israel is afraid the hostages would be summarily murdered if they attack. The hostages, however, and everyone else can see that with the US President, it’s not just talk. Trump and his team put their money where their mouths were. President Donald Trump's administration recently announced that it had approved military sales to Israel worth some $7.4 billion. They also overturned a Biden-era export block on heavy weapons, allowing Israel to bring in 1,800 MK-84s, 2,000-pound bombs that can “pancake” buildings. (See Smotrich's revelation about the weapons situation during the war.) The American president not only gave us his blessings and encouragement to achieve total victory, he gave us the tools we needed to do it. And yet our government does nothing. The Knesset argues. Netanyahu makes strong speeches promising future reprisals. Meanwhile, aid flows into Gaza, Hamas keeps humiliating us on the national stage, and our soldiers put their lives at risk in an untenable situation. After the horrors surrounding the return of the Bibas family, Trump allegedly told advisors he wants Gaza “wiped out” with no buildings left. He’s absolutely right. There is no reason for any part of Gaza today to be anything other than a smoldering pile of rubble. A year ago, the opportunity we have been given would have seemed as unbelievable as a fairytale. The two-state solution is dead. We have US backing to relocate Palestinian Arabs. We have a world leader who is letting us call the shots. We’ve been given a chance beyond most Israeli’s wildest hopes. And still, we do nothing. Clearly, the problem was not just you, Mr. Biden. Even with you gone and every opportunity before us, nothing has changed. Our upper echelons are corrupt and blame Netanyahu instead of Hamas for the situation, willing to concede everything as long as he is harmed, and our government faces the horrendous dilemma between saving hostages with a deal vs. desroying Hamas without mercy - knowing that much of the country has been persuaded that the hostage negotiations come first. But - Every day that we do nothing, Hamas and the Palestinian Arabs grow in strength. Every delay gives them time to rearm and plan for the next time. The recently failed bus bombings prove that they are already hard at work. The blame for the next tragedy should fall squarely on the shoulders of the politicians who did nothing to prevent it. Our prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to "open the gates of hell" if all hostages in Gaza were not returned. So far, the gates have remained firmly closed. Instead, we negotiate more one-sided exchanges that only highlight new depth of their depravity. We talk about moving on to phases that never should have been allowed to progress for so long in the first place. Some, albeit very few, even still dare to talk about ceasefires and coexistence. To be fair, the PM cautioned that "We can't always share the details of this strategy with the public, including when the gates of hell will be opened.” Perhaps the coming days and weeks will see him set up and take action. There is still time for him to come through and if he does well, I've already shown that I am a big enough person to apologize when I make a mistake and this time, I will be only too happy to be proven wrong. Until then, the fact that Gaza hasn’t been retaken and its murderous inhabitants removed once and for all is a black mark on the Jewish state, an international embarrassment, and an internal source of disgrace. And so, Mr. Biden I apologize for blaming only you. We, not you, appear to be a main cause of our own problems. Whatever wicked designs you once had on us seem unnecessary when you consider that the government of Israel is doing your job for you. There’s no need to look outside for the reason for our misfortunes. We needed to take a deep look within. I don’t know if you are still aware enough to hear and understand this message Mr. Biden, but I pray that we are. Ilan Goodman is a museum collections professional and exhibition curator. He also serves as a rabbi and educator. He made Aliyah to Israel in 2011 and lives with his wife and children in Beit Shemesh.
