Biden’s Lexicon of De-Escalation Equals Appeasement

Israel’s bold countermeasures against Hezbollah show how actions speak louder than words.

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Capitol on July 24, 2024. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying his best to teach President Biden and Vice President Harris why appeasement never works. 

On Friday, Mr. Netanyahu blasted the United Nations as a “swamp of antisemitic bile” and “a contemptuous farce.” 

And then he promptly ordered the Israel Defence Forces to bomb Hezbollah’s headquarters, in a move that took out longtime Hezbollah killer Hassan Nasrallah, as well as other terrorist commandos. 

Today, Israel has launched raids into southern Lebanon to clean out Hezbollah, and perhaps allow some 60,000 displaced Israelis to return to their homes in the north. 

It shows how actions speak louder than words, although words can be a warning. 

Yet effective actions constitute deterrence. Mere words, like “de-escalation” and “ceasefire,” almost always make the situation worse. 

Mr. Biden commendably called Nasrallah’s death a measure of justice. 

Then he relapsed into yet another call for some kind of negotiated ceasefire, believe it or not, using the antisemitic UN as a vehicle.

Israel is trying to teach a deterrence lesson to Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris, as the Wall Street Journal editorial today so aptly writes. 

Unfortunately, they’re not listening judging by this exchange today: 

“Israel may be now launching a limited operation into Lebanon,” a reporter observed, asking, “Are you aware of that? Are you comfortable with their plans?” 

Mr. Biden replied: “I’m more aware than you might know, and I’m comfortable with them stopping. We should have a ceasefire now.”

There he goes again. “We should have a ceasefire now.”

No, we should not have a cease-fire now. Let Israel handle it. Stop putting the cuffs on Israel.

Actually, watch how effective Israeli counter-terrorist and military operations have been. 

Recall the pagers and the walkie talkies. Recall the use of bunker busters. Recall that neither Hezbollah nor Hamas can ever be trusted when it comes to cease-fires or hostage negotiations. Never. 

And consider the impact on Iran. 

Hamas is evil. Hezbollah is evil. But Iran is the mother of all evil. 

Recall that President Trump took out the Iranian terrorist commando, Qasem Soleimani. And the ISIS commander Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi. And Trump’s classic phrase “we have your cell phone number and your home address” — allegedly said to the Taliban mullahs in Afghanistan. 

Rest assured that Israel has the cellphone number and the home address of the top Iranian ayatollahs — and will not hesitate to act, if conditions warrant.

Let me repeat the simple idea that appeasement always fails. And the Biden-Harris lexicon of de-escalation equals appeasement. It has failed everywhere. That is why the world is on fire right now — from Afghanistan to Ukraine to the Middle East. 

Appeasing Iran by loosening the oil sanctions gave them the resources to finance the Israeli wars. That also, of course, was appeasement. And look where it’s gotten us. 

Our enemies in Russia, China, Iran and North Korea — the so-called axis of evil — always exploit American appeasement. 

In the corridors of power at Washington, D.C., the phrase “peace through strength” is frequently tossed around. Right now, we have neither peace, nor strength. 

Fortunately, in the corridors of power between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, we have brave freedom fighters, who are trying to teach a lesson to America. 

From Mr. Kudlow’s broadcast on Fox Business Network.


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