Seeking Solace After Oct. 7 Attack, Many Israelis View Biden as Their Wartime Leader

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As Israel fights its bloodiest war in decades, many Israelis have found comfort and strength from an unexpected wartime leader: President Biden. Biden’s popularity has soared in Israel, with the president’s staunch support for the country’s response to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack earning him widespread praise.

That stands in contrast to the bitter criticism directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failure both to prevent the assault and to comfort Israelis shaken by the massacre. On memes on social media in Israel, Biden has been depicted as Captain America and “protector of Israel." Many Israelis say the speeches he’s given since the war started—in which he has denounced Hamas as “evil" and pledged America’s help in protecting the country—moved and comforted them as they have grappled with the shock of the attack. Hamas, which the U.S.

has designated as a terrorist group, killed 1,400 Israelis, including about 1,000 civilians, and kidnapped about 200 people. Even as global criticism intensifies over the civilian casualties from the thousands of airstrikes Israel has launched on Gaza since Oct. 7, Biden has doubled down on his support for Israel.

That support comes just as Israel prepares for what could be a costly ground invasion of the Gaza Strip with the goal of eradicating Hamas. The U.S. president visited the country on Wednesday in a high-profile demonstration of his support.

Then, in a speech Thursday from the White House, he linked Israel to his administration’s support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Biden asked Congress to approve a new multibillion-dollar package of defense aid for both countries. “When terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their