Dem
51
GOP
49
Ok, Joe Biden didn't put it exactly that way, but he's channeling the same basic sentiment as when Dwight D. Eisenhower said "I shall go to Korea." So, the headline is correct in spirit, even if not in actual fact.
The announcement that the President would visit Israel, and would meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, came yesterday. Planning has been underway for several days, but it did not become official until officials were persuaded that the proper level of security could be achieved. Two additional ships, the USS Bataan and Carter Hall have been ordered to the region as an additional precaution. Officially, Biden is supposed to arrive in Israel on Wednesday, though we wouldn't be too surprised if he showed up a little early, just to foil anyone who might get any big ideas—not unlike Abraham Lincoln sneaking into Washington in the middle of the night for his inauguration.
Biden does not need to go to Israel, of course, in that he can certainly communicate with Netanyahu by phone or video link. However, as with Eisenhower and Korea, Biden's visit has great symbolic value. It sends a message to the Israeli people, to the international community, and to American voters. Which of those three groups Biden is most interested in connecting with, we do not know.
That said, in terms of domestic politics, the President has played this like the foreign policy pro he is. By freezing the $6 billion in money in Qatar, he pretty well shut down the "Biden made Iran do this" line of attack. He's been staunch in his support of Israel, been sympathetic to the innocents in Gaza, and has shown strength without getting the U.S. too entangled in anything (at least, not so far). And now, he's visiting in person. It's hard to see how he could have handled this much better.
It is also the case that, historically, a well-handled foreign affairs crisis is the best thing to give a president's approval rating a shot in the arm. Think Ronald Reagan and Libya, George H.W. Bush and Operation Desert Storm, or George W. Bush and 9/11. Of course, we may be playing by different political rules now, wherein nothing a president does can break that 55% glass ceiling. And even if Biden does get a boost, it could be a dead cat boost, as both the Bushes only benefited short-term from their crisis leadership. That said, it will be worth keeping an eye on, particularly given that likely 2024 opponent Donald Trump has fumbled so badly here. (Z)