October 17, 2024
5 min read
Biden’s Withdrawal Made Containing War in the Middle East Harder
As tensions soar in the Middle East, the president’s lame duck status hinders efforts to manage the escalation of risks in the region
US President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Israel as he holds an interagency briefing on the Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on October 1, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Joe Biden has insisted that ending the war in Gaza and bringing peace and security to the Middle East remains a top priority during his final months in office. Yet even freed from the burden of campaigning following his July withdrawal from the race, the president has since proven unwilling, or unable, to control the risks of spiraling conflict in the region.
Instead, after Israel dramatically stepped up its military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, a wider war now appears likelier than at any point since the terrorist attacks first committed by Hamas in 2023.
A look at history and political science suggests Biden’s decision to abandon his bid for reelection, ironically, is a major cause of his ineffectiveness in defusing the conflict. Described by some as the final act of public service in a storied political career, the president’s withdrawal immediately weakened his ability to manage crises across the globe. This erosion of presidential authority at one of the most dangerous geopolitical moments in living memory is among the most serious and underappreciated consequences of his decision to step aside.
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Biden is only the third president to abandon reelection since the end of the Second World…
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