Time to pump the brakes on Israeli aid?

Sometimes it is hard to know when to step on the gas and when to pump the brakes. That seems to be the situation the United States is in as it ponders what role to play in helping Israel defeat Hamas. Israel remains our strongest ally in the Middle East, and it is in our interest to ensure they are protected. But Israel is hardly helping itself with a relentless bombing campaign that doesn’t seem to differentiate between soldiers and civilians. So far, more than 25,000 have been killed in Gaza in the scattershot campaign. But Israel has struggled to defeat Hamas, and wants more help from the United States. Now there are suggestions that President Joe Biden is considering not writing another blank check until Israel heeds U.S. advice and becomes more precise in its attack, while getting much needed humanitarian aid to those who are suffering innocently. This is a precarious situation, and could escalate into a wider conflict. Our government needs to tread carefully while remaining supportive of Israel without being a party to genocide, which is turning out to be a delicate balance.