
Middle East Monitor Conversations
Middle East Monitor Conversations
Biden, Trump & the Gaza genocide: MEMO in Conversation with Khaled Elgindy
Joe Biden was said to be the most pro-Israel US president in decades, with Donald Trump taking over the White House, we ask what will Washington do next?
Israel's 15-month genocidal assault on the besieged Gaza Strip was aided by the United States of America. While in his outgoing address, President Joe Biden cited obtaining a ceasefire as among his administration's crowning achievements. However, contrary to the image he wished to portray, Biden offered total support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and took the unusual step of stating there were 'no red lines' as far as Washington was concerned as Israel's war on the Palestinians began. The lack of restraints on Israel has some commentators arguing that Biden was the most pro-Israel US president in decades. Previous US presidents, while offering Israel total backing, would place limits on how far Israel could go, but with Biden, Israel faced no such pressure. As the Trump administration takes the reins of power, we are asking what will Biden's legacy be and what will Trump do next? Joining us to answer these questions is Khaled Elgindy.
Elgindy is a visiting scholar at Georgetown University Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies. He is the author of the 2019 book, 'Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump'. Elgindy previously served as director of the Middle East Institute’s Program on Palestine and Palestinian-Israeli Affairs. From 2010 through 2018, he served as a resident scholar in the Foreign Policy programme at the Brookings Institution. Prior to arriving at Brookings, he served as an advisor to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations of 2007-08.