Although, to my mind, there is much to be said about Biden's policies in general, such as stopping the Keystone Project resulting in unemployment and rise in oil prices, the opening of the borders with Mexico, attempts to raise corporate taxes as well as put critical race theory into school curricula and more - this will concentrate on Biden's relationship with Israel.
Here are ten strikes against the Biden people that I picked up just by following the news:
1. Biden did not rush to accept Netanyahu's congratulations, and early on Ms. Psaki his spokeswoman could not bring herself to affirm if Israel was a key ally of America.
2. Secretary Blinken removed sanctions against the Yemeni Houthis and lo and behold the Houthis are now firing rockets at Israeli ships as they sail around their territories.
3. Hamas has commenced firing dozens of rockets at Israeli civilians and targets.
4. Syria fires a huge missile into the heart of Israel probably at the instigation of Iran.
5. Iran plunges even deeper towards nuclear armament aimed at annihilating Israel and its Jews.
6. Biden sends hundreds of millions of dollars illicitly to the PLO and removes its persona non grata status in America.
7. Biden lifts sanctions against Iran.
8. Violent riots by Israeli Arabs break out all over Israel.
9. Kerry is outed as having revealed strategic secrets to Iran about Israeli operations in Syria.
10. Blinken and the State Department say they regard Judea and Samaria as "occupied territories".
To be fair, I also learned that the American Defense Department just delivered three more F35 stealth fighters to Israel, and that they are cooperating with Israel to build newer and better versions of the Arrow air defense system. But on balance the tilt is definitely against Israel, with the gap widening between Israel and its key strategic ally.
Compare Biden's record with Trump's, who in four short years:
1. Recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
2. Moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
3. Recognized Israeli control over the Golan Heights.
4. Placed sanctions on Iran for its militaristic aggression.
5. Pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear treaty and deal.
6. Closed the PLO offices in America.
7. Cut of aid to the Palestinians because of their "pay to slay" and violence against Israelis.
8. Had a great diplomatic victory with the Abraham Accords, getting the Islamic countries: Morocco, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Kosovo to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
9. Eliminated key Iranian commanders.
10. Nikki Haley at the UN and Mike Pompeo at the State Department constantly stood up for and defended Israel against all critics and enemies on the global stage.
What a contrast! And this is only the first 100 days! What the Biden people will get up to is anyone's guess, but one thing is for sure, things will not get better for Israel the way they are unfolding now.
There may be a "Trump Derangement Syndrome" but for Israel there is most definitely a "Trump Withdrawal Syndrome" now, and it hurts!
So the question is, as Jews how do we digest all the above, going from the heights of near euphoria to the lows of near depression?
Being that we are now approaching the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, when we read the scroll of Ruth, it occurred to me that we can take strength and comfort from the narrative of the story in the book of Ruth. It starts off with the story of an important family in the Land of Israel during the time of the Book of Judges. There is a severe famine in the land and Jews are suffering. Rather than face up to their responsibilities to help their brethren the family leaves the Land of Israel and moves to enemy state Moab where the two sons marry non-Jewish women, one of whom is Ruth a Moabitess from a royal family. The two sons and the father of the family die.
Ruth upon becoming a widow decides to follow her surviving mother-in-law Naomi back to Israel even though she is not Jewish. Her words and dedication to Naomi are taken as a process of sincere conversion to Judaism. Eventually upon her return to the Land of Israel Ruth marries Boaz, one of the Judges in an unusual Levirate Marriage, and from this union, the Scroll of Ruth informs us, eventually after a few generations King David the progenitor of the Messiah is born! Ruth goes from being a forbidden and reviled Moabite to becoming the beloved mother of Jewish royalty, as she is referred to by the rabbis.
What a turnaround, from the depths of despair to the heights of glory! God's ways are hidden from us. The way God conducts history and plays with His human puppets on planet Earth are impossible to truly fathom. But one thing is for sure: The Jewish People in the Land of Israel will definitely triumph in the end with the arrival of the true Mashiach, may it happen speedily in our days!
Rabbi Yitschak Rudomin is president and founder of the Jewish Professionals Institute. An alumnus of Yeshiva Chaim Berlin and Teachers College, Columbia University, he has dedicated his life to Jewish outreach and education, served for 7 years as full-time director of Sinai Heritage Centers in Manhattan and 3 as an AJOP trustee, .among many oher endeavors.