The editorial in the "Wall Street Journal" sharply attacks US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, for knowing in real time that their criticism of Israel was distancing a deal to release the hostages, and yet continuing with it. 

The article claims that in fact Biden's political considerations distanced an agreement. The author of the article also accuses Biden of taking Trump's view of Israel's success in damaging the Iranian axis, even though Biden and his people had been trying to stop Israel's war machine all along.

Here is the article:

Now he tells us. In an interview published on Saturday in the New York Times, Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, noted the main obstacle On the Gaza hostage deal: “Every time there has been a public rift between the US and Israel, and the perception that pressure is mounting on Israel, we have seen this: Hamas has backed away from agreeing to a ceasefire and the release of hostages.” 

He is right, and the messages from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to his negotiators, reported by the Wall Street Journal, say so. But then what is the accountability for the Biden administration’s actions then?

Since the first and only hostage deal to date in November 2023, President Biden has maintained a relentless public rift, constraining Israel, berating it, threatening it, and demanding an end to its defensive war. The president has used these confrontations (with Israel) to placate his party’s anti-Israeli activist base ahead of the 2024 elections, but as Mr. Blinken says, Hamas has heard the message too.

On November 30, 2023, Mr. Blinken set new rules for how Israel could fight—in short, Israel could not continue to fight as it had been doing until then, (a fighting style) that forced Hamas to make a deal.

On December 12, Mr. Biden accused Israel of “indiscriminate bombing,” a lie belied by evidence. The message to Israel was to “move to the next phase” (of the war) with fewer troops.

As (American) pressure on Israel mounted in 2024, Hamas argued that there was no need to release the hostages; the United States would force Israel to end the war anyway. 

In February, the administration pushed for the establishment of a Palestinian state, created an anti-Israel sanctions regime, and put new constraints on arms transfers (to Israel). Mr. Biden criticized Israel’s war effort as “over the top” and considered Israeli settlements illegal.

Where was the concern then about a “public gap with Israel,” while other hostages were still alive?

In March, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the overthrow of the Israeli government. Mr. Biden blamed Israel for the aid problems, Vice President Kamala Harris called for an “immediate ceasefire,” and the president set a “red line” that Israel must not enter Rafah, Hamas’s southern stronghold. Mr. Biden issued threats not in private but on CNN: “We are not going to provide the weapons and the artillery shells.” He profited from it. 

In April, Mr. Biden denounced Israel and demanded new concessions in the negotiations. Mr. Blinken warned that “if we don’t see the changes that we need to see” in Israel’s conduct, “there will be a change in our policy.” 

At the time, we called it “the worst thing a president can do to free the hostages.” Why did it take Mr. Blinken so long to reach that conclusion?

We could go on for months about how Mr. Biden has done everything he can to prevent Israel from defeating Hezbollah. More telling is the administration’s change of tune, especially since the U.S. election.

Rather than continue to complain about its failure to stop Israel, the Biden team has taken credit for Israel’s achievements. Mr. Biden, who has pushed for “de-escalation” throughout the war, boasted in December that he had “shifted the balance of power in the Middle East.” Mr. Blinken now says “Israel has destroyed Hamas’s military capabilities.” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says that “Iran’s main proxy in the region, Hezbollah, has been completely weakened, crushed.”

The Washington Post’s David Ignatius, an amplifier of Biden’s policies, writes in his exit interview with Mr. Sullivan on December 31 that “the Biden team has bet on Israel,” which “has begun to run the table against Iran and its proxies,” resulting in “a transformed Middle East.” Who knew that escalation meant transformation?

As the Biden team gropes for a legacy, the only positive thing it can find is that Iranian power is backing down. Never mind that this was the opposite of the administration’s policy of trying to stop Israel at all costs. Let’s pray that the change comes in time to crush Hamas’ hopes of helping the hostages.