NEWSRAEL Contributor, Dr. Kobby Barda, Israeli expert on American affairs writes about the curious "Jesus moment" mention of Joe Biden.
What Biden said in the SOTU about Netanyahu (Jesus meeting), what is hidden behind this sentence, and especially why now?
"Come to Jesus" is an American phrase for blunt conversation.
But, in the deep theological sense, in Biden's background as a believing Catholic, the context is broader, and much deeper...
Jesus moments or come to Jesus moments is a moment of sudden realization, understanding or recognition that often catalyzes great change. Many patients come out of illness after having a come-to-Jesus moment that reorients their thinking.
In this broader context, the significance of the issue should be understood, when Netanyahu becomes a kind of red sheet in front of Biden's face in the context of the continuation of military activity.
I would like to add another alarming indicator in this context, this time specifically from the Vice President, before why and how.
When US Vice President Harris was interviewed by CBS (March 8) and referred, among other things, to American aid to Israel, she answered a question about the government's relationship with the Israeli Prime Minister and whether there is a danger to the security aid, and answered:
"A distinction must be made between the Israeli people who deserve this aid, and the Israeli government, with which there are clearly major differences in this administration. The US will continue to support [Israel], even as [we] push the Israeli government to make some fundamental changes in the way they prosecute this war."
Why is this happening now?
After all, only in November President Biden gave a speech at the White House on the subject of the release of the hostages, celebrating the release of 4-year-old Abigail Idan and pledged that he would do everything to free the hostages and that Hamas would not control any part of Gaza in the future.
Why - is Rafah not part of Gaza? So why stop?
There is significant movement here, the emphasis on which should be from last week, when hard news for Biden came in the results of the February 28 Michigan Democratic primary election with about 100k voting "unidentified" as part of a campaign led by Palestinian congresswoman Rashida Talib.
Already in October, Talib began to conduct the campaign to threaten Biden: The threat became a reality, when about 16% of the voters voted "not committed", in combination the winner comes from the city of Dearborn, one of the most "Muslim" cities in Michigan with about 50% Muslims and in the district of Ann Arbor, seat of the University of Michigan.
About 50 million young voters could be Biden's make or break, and this is the reason, that all the anger and frustration, the administration is channeling to a relatively "calm" factor which is a battle of blows and isolation of the Netanyahu government, thus trying to go with and feel without.
That means also to reduce the flames among the progressive audience, but also to maintain the sympathy of American Jews
I can cautiously estimate that the pressure will now be directed at the Israeli government in a more significant way than it has been so far, and we will not be surprised to see more such pressure on the Israeli government in the supply and use of American weapons and in the pursuit of a cease-fire and settlement in Israel, as part of the blows to the needs of the base of calculated political management As we get closer to the elections.