Tipsheet

Maybe Biden Should Cancel His Israel Trip After What Happened to the German Chancellor

President Joe Biden is reportedly on his way to Israel, and he should probably come back. I'm not talking about fear regarding him potentially falling down the stairs of Air Force One. There are legitimate security concerns, as you know. He's entering a nation on the brink of a massive land operation in Gaza. Rocket attacks are occurring from all corners of the country. Biden has already delivered a statement of total support for Israel and offered, as presidents in the past have done when the Jewish State comes under threat, anything they would require to defend themselves. 

But a video of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his advisers taking cover on the tarmac at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv is something else. They were later escorted to a bomb shelter: 

Is this trip a good idea, especially after Biden has declared our support for Israel? No doubt he will be there, as Scholz has done, to ensure the safe passage of the civilians in Gaza who are about to be engulfed in a warzone. There will be discussions about humanitarian aid as well. We all know this—so why couldn't this be handled over the phone?  

Israel's ground troops will not enter Gaza until Biden leaves. That's a given, but the postponement has allowed Israel to cycle through multiple scenarios, as their invasion will likely trigger a regional war. Hezbollah and Iran will retaliate when the IDF invades.