Welcome to Tuesday.

Remember those heady times mere days ago when the biggest story in the world was Taylor Swift watching her new boyfriend play football?

I Love Barbeque, But There’s a Time and Place

On Sunday, our closest ally in the Middle East was grieving an unconscionable massacre, and declaring a war that may well turn into a regional inferno. An unknown number of Americans were among the dead and kidnapped. Countless Jewish synagogues, schools and other soft targets across the U.S. were put in the crosshairs. Thousands of protesters in New York and across the country, many in the garb of the Palestinian terrorists, were celebrating the slaughter while burning American and Israeli flags.

And Joe Biden was hosting a barbecue at the White House. And it must have been a doozy, because he ended up taking most of Monday off.

You could cut Biden some slack if the BBQ was a long-planned event for out-of-towners or far-flung dignitaries. But this barbeque was held for White House Executive Residence staff and their families. In other words, White House employees who live in the area. Nothing would be easier to reschedule. The boss is needed in the Situation Room, not dishing out brisket.

I suspect the heat the White House is getting for the BBQ is in part driven by the rather nonchalant attitude the administration has taken over the invasion of Israel. And the murder of Americans. We mentioned yesterday the fact that Biden’s handlers didn’t even wake up the president for some eight hours after the attack began. We also noted how the Office of Palestinian Affairs’ initial response was to call for Israel’s restraint. That tweet was deleted, but another tweet has emerged suggesting the very same thing, this one from Secretary of State Blinken. It too has since been deleted.

Deleted tweet from the Secretary of State calling on Israel to not respond to Hamas killing over 700 of their people. pic.twitter.com/CEjlHAvWDB

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 9, 2023

Blinken encouraged efforts to arrange a ceasefire. In other words, to stop Israel from responding to the killing of over 900 of its citizens.

Even on Monday, Biden and the White House were tweeting about unions, student debt, abortion, gun control, appointees, even junk fees. Junk fees?! And then Biden called it quits before noon. On a day when confirmation came that 11 Americans were slaughtered by terrorists.

The White House has called a lid before noon.

We do not expect to see or hear from President Biden for the rest of the day.

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 9, 2023

Yes, we hope for peace. Yes, we hope for minimal civilian casualties. We dream of the day the lion lies down with the lamb and swords are turned to plowshares. And yeah, we welcome any Muslim nation’s efforts to get those hostages back safely. But America and America’s President cannot leave any room for doubt what side it’s on, cannot play the media’s game of moral equivalency. Those statements, coming after years of payments to the perpetrators of these attacks, turns an innocent Sunday barbeque into the equivalent of “some people did some things.”

Finally … a Statement, But No Public Appearance

Then late in the afternoon, after outcry far and wide over his silence, the White House released a statement in Joe Biden’s name. It confirms that at least 11 Americans have been killed. We pray for the families of the lost, and those kidnapped and unaccounted for.

As we continue to account for the horrors of the appalling terrorist assault against Israel this weekend and the hundreds of innocent civilians who were murdered, we are seeing the immense scale and reach of this tragedy. Sadly, we now know that at least 11 American citizens were among those killed—many of whom made a second home in Israel.

It’s heart wrenching. These families have been torn apart by inexcusable hatred and violence. We also know that American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts. My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days. The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable.

The safety of American citizens—whether at home or abroad—is my top priority as President. While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas. I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts.

For American citizens who are currently in Israel, the State Department is providing consular assistance as well as updated security alerts. For those who desire to leave, commercial flights and ground options are still available. Please also take sensible precautions in the days ahead and follow the guidance of local authorities.

This is not some distant tragedy. The ties between Israel and the United States run deep. It is personal for so many American families who are feeling the pain of this attack as well as the scars inflicted through millennia of antisemitism and persecution of Jewish people. In cities across the country, police departments have stepped up security around centers of Jewish life, and the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal law enforcement partners are closely monitoring for any domestic threats in connection with the horrific terrorist attacks in Israel.

In this moment of heartbreak, the American people stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israelis. We remember the pain of being attacked by terrorists at home, and Americans across the country stand united against these evil acts that have once more claimed innocent American lives. It is an outrage. And we will continue to show the world that the American people are unwavering in our resolve to oppose terrorism in all forms.

The United States and the State of Israel are inseparable partners, and I affirmed to Prime Minister Netanyahu again when we spoke yesterday that the United States will continue to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself and its people.

(This all seems a bit passive, doesn’t it? Where’s the warning to Hamas for harming and capturing Americans? Especially in light of Hamas’ threat to execute hostages on live TV. And why a written statement in this social media video clip age? Even if Joe’s OD’d on BBQ sauce, where’s Kamala Harris? Certainly she can be as tough on Hamas as she was on Brett Kavanaugh.)

Israel on the Move

Meanwhile, IDF has launched a full siege of Gaza Strip, after warning civilians to get out. The pounding has been ferocious. “No power, no food, no gas, everything is closed,” said Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. “We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly.”

Gallant says Israel’s response is a matter of the Jewish state’s survival. “Exacting a heavy price from the enemy is a necessary condition for our existence in the region,” he said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “We will exact a price that will be remembered by them and Israel’s other enemies for decades to come.”

Israel is at war.

We didn’t want this war.

It was forced upon us in the most brutal and savage way.
But though Israel didn’t start this war, Israel will finish it.

Once, the Jewish people were stateless.
Once, the Jewish people were defenseless.
No longer.

Hamas will… pic.twitter.com/eVECGnzLu3

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 9, 2023

In the face of the bombardment and imminent ground assault, and vows by Israel to eliminate Hamas as a threat, Hamas reportedly says it’s now open to discussing a “truce” with Israel. No dice, responded the IDF.

Still, it remains astonishing that Hamas was able to pull off this surprise assault. Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Sunday, “This is an attack that I don’t think anyone saw coming in the immediate.”

I dunno. Maybe if Blinken wasn’t so consumed in making sure rainbow flags were hanging from our embassies he would have been more aware of what’s really going on in the world.

Dozens of Harvard Student Organizations Side With Terrorists Who Execute Children in Handcuffs

The Harvard “crimson” used to be just a school nickname and color. Now it’s the blood of innocent Israelis. A shocking 34 Harvard student organizations (perhaps more) signed onto a statement pinning the blame for Saturday’s massacre of at least 900 innocent Jews on Israel and Israel alone. The groups “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.”

Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers is aghast.

In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today.

— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) October 9, 2023

And the fact that Harvard’s current leadership is silent … especially given how vocal they were about the invasion of Ukraine … leaves him stunned.

The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups' statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel.

— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) October 9, 2023

The Stream Covers Israel

Our Aliya Kuykendall shares an absolutely beautiful “The Prophetic Call to Pray for Peace in Israel,” recounting through Scripture God’s hand on the Jewish people.

Stream contributor Timothy Furnish offers a great primer on Hamas and what Iran gains out of helping the terror group attack Israel: “Hamas: Iran’s Blood-Thirsty Sock Puppet.”

Dr. Michael Brown opens his heart with “Some Open and Raw Reflections on the Murderous Attack on Israel.”

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and now at TRUTH Social.