President Biden threatens Israel with an arms embargo. Administration officials leak out Israel’s plans for striking Iran, perhaps hoping to minimize the impact on the Islamic Republic. The president’s men urge Jerusalem to go easy on Hezbollah. Well placed press reports suggest that Israel’s missile defense is deflated. As the gangsters say, nice country you have there, shame if something bad happens to it.   

Israel’s Channel 12 first reported on an October 13 letter from Secretaries Austin and Blinken, threatening Jerusalem with an arms embargo unless Israel increases aid to Gaza “within 30 days.” Might as well say “do it before November 6, or suffer in the lame duck.” Two days ago Vice President Harris demanded more aid, after the United Nations claimed Gazans are starving. The sudden urgency, though, seems to be more about Dearborn than Khan Yunis. 

Then, too, “Netanyahu tells U.S. that Israel will strike Iranian military, not nuclear or oil targets, officials say,” is today’s Washington Post headline. Might as well telegraph to the Iranians the exact target locations and timing of the Israeli strike. The leak, ironically, follows Washington’s complaints that Israel is failing to share its military plans with the administration. Mostly, it signals to Israel to refrain from creating a political October surprise.     

Meanwhile, Mr. Biden reportedly demanded last week, in a phone call to Mr. Netanayhu, that Israel stop hitting Hezbollah in “highly populated areas.” In the last six days,  the IDF indeed refrained from striking Beirut. Guess what: Yesterday Haifa and Tel Aviv were showered with missiles. Plus, too, today Hezbollah’s Naim Kassem claimed in a televised speech that the terrorist army has  regrouped and is ready to resume an all out war on the Jewish state.   

For four years America’s go-to policy was to appease, rather than go on the offense. Yet what about the assurances by the Biden-Harris campaign that Israel must always be able to defend itself? A story in today’s Financial Times claims that “Israel faces a looming shortage of interceptor missiles.” That shortage, even while America is “racing to help close gaps in Israel’s protective shield,” will force Jerusalem to “prioritize” in defense of its citizens.   

Today’s initial deployment in Israel of American Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense batteries is widely advertised. Yet, these anti-missile systems were deployed in Israel as far back as 2008. The current characterization of the batteries’ deployment as a novel idea is seen as an American rush to aid an ally against coming Iranian attacks. It is also designed to remind Israelis that they are dependent on America and should do nothing to anger its leaders.      

As Washington threatens, coddles, and micromanages, Israel is fighting on seven fronts proxies of the Islamic Republic, as well as Iran itself. While Ms. Harris cuts and pastes UN reports during a break on the campaign trail, Israelis are running daily to bomb shelters. Mr. Netanayhu’s cabinet reportedly decided on the nature of a response to Iran’s October 1 missile attack. The defense minister, Yoav Gallant, says it will be “precise and deadly.”

The timing of the Iran strike, or strikes, is yet to be determined, according to Kan Television. Will the Israelis wait until after the November election? Israel has reason perhaps to do away with Hezbollah first and only then go after the head of the hydra, the Islamic Republic. The hope is that such decisions are part of far-sighted strategic Israeli planning, rather than taken under pressures related to the American political calendar.