While Americans believe that "the war in the Middle East is nearing its end," Israelis fear that it may have just begun. The Wall Street Journal reports that Washington is focusing on restraining Israel to such an extent that it fails to notice the situation. The piece references comments made on Sunday by General C.Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to reporters en route to Botswana.
The general indicated that "the United States is likely not able to assist Israel in defending itself against a wider war with Hezbollah" and noted that the U.S. had helped Israel respond to a barrage of Iranian rockets and drones in April. He warned Israel to "consider the second-order effects of any kind of operations in Lebanon," including the threat to U.S. forces, and mentioned that the Iranians could directly join the battle and provide greater support to their proxy, especially if they felt Hezbollah was significantly threatened.
The journal highlights that this serves as a calculated red light for Israel, implying that they should not rely on U.S. assistance but rather brace for Iran's wrath. The article questions the message the general is sending to Hezbollah, suggesting that it may appear to them as an invitation to escalate their attacks.
The analysis concludes that this will have a heavy toll on the people of Lebanon, noting that the Biden Administration has warned on previous occasions during this war that it might not intervene to help Israel, yet Israel has acted on what it deemed necessary. Furthermore, it states that "the other half of Biden's policy is to withhold arms," with bureaucratic delays slowing down the flow of support to Israel over the past four months. It emphasizes that the White House's goal is to prevent a larger war; however, the policy of weakening Israel is having an adverse effect, encouraging Hezbollah to continue its fire and expand its operations, which intensifies internal pressure in Israel to take action.
