Obviously China and Russia perceive US President Joe Biden's America as weak and vulnerable. Why else would they be threatening to invade their neighbors? China openly declares its intention to invade Taiwan, while Russia masses troops on its border with Ukraine as the world looks on befuddled.
Both China and Russia are feeling emboldened to act aggressively and are playing a game of dangerous brinkmanship as both of them are nuclear superpowers whose misbehavior on the international scene could trigger counter responses from other nuclear superpowers, mainly the United States.
While this takes the heat off the recent focus of the United States to boost the status of the PLO by objecting to Israeli expansion in Judea and Samaria, desires to open an American consulate in East Jerusalem, and clipping Israel's wings when it wants to retaliate against terrorist acts, it also poses dangers for Israel:
As they look at an America led by an almost 80 year president who makes so many gaffes in public that his handlers don't even try to hide them (they can't!) America comes across as a laughing stock in the eyes of Russia, China and North Korea led by virile strongmen.
Iran assumes it can continue with its bellicose posturing vis a vis Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah are encouraged to fire rockets into Israel, Israeli Arabs feel they attack innocent Jews, and most seriously the Russian military in Syria is a real threat facing Israel that could be triggered into war in worst case scenarios.
The United States under President Joe Biden is focused on cutting back on oil exploration and pipeline transportation. Gas prices have almost doubled in less than a year since Biden took over.
-The United States is moving back to being a net importer of petroleum after it had become a net exporter of oil during the four short years of former President Trump's tenure.
-While there are no anti-Trump riots, crime under Biden is out of control, with flash mobs ransacking business centers and uncontrolled theft that is forcing major pharmacy and retail chains to shut down in lower class areas.
-The southern USA border is open with hundreds of thousands of illegals streaming in not just from South and Central America but with refuge seekers from all over the world.
If this seems a chaotic situation, it is, and the people running the Russia Federation and the People's Republic of China are taking note.
President Putin of Russia is a KGB colonel of the former USSR who longs for the good old days of Soviet hegemony. Under him, Russia has previously invaded Georgia (2008), Chechnya (1994-1996 / 1999-2009) and Crimea (2014), so if the news reports say that he is now massing troops on the border of Ukraine with the intent of invasion one must believe the threats as real.
China has always wanted to reclaim Taiwan for itself. The Communists learn from history, after all Communist North Vietnam successfully conquered South Vietnam in spite of America's involvement in that war, and Communist North Korea constantly threatens to attack South Korea and even Japan if it has too, a serious threat because North Korea is a nuclear power.
And as they look at an America led by an almost 80 year president who makes so many gaffes in public that his handlers don't even try to hide them (they can't!) America comes across as a laughing stock in the eyes of Russia, China and North Korea that are led by virile strongmen.
This rivalry between world powers in Europe and the Far East, while a headache for America, takes the focus off of the Middle East and the festering Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As America scrambles to shore up its alliances in NATO and the Far East dealing with the real threat of potential war on two fronts, no one has time to focus on the perennial complaints of the Palestinian Arabs against Israel. Then again, perhaps it is this very frustration that is driving some Palestinian Arabs to do random acts of terrorism to create sensationalism that will restore them to headline news.
The hypocritical BDS crowd is silent of course when it comes to Russia or China making military preparations and issuing undiplomatic threats against its neighbors, they only care that Israel is making Judea and Samaria flourish. Israel does not threaten Arabs and people who live in peace, a fact that's deliberately ignored by the BDS fanatics.
But nevertheless the fact remains that China is a supporter of Iran and if China gets away with its bellicosity and saber rattling, it encourages Iran to do the same. Monkey see, monkey do. That the Russian army is ensconced in Syria and has made it into a vassal state of new Russian Empire under Putin since 2015 and at the end of 2017, the Russian government said its troops would be deployed to Syria permanently!
This is a dagger, two daggers, pointed at Israel's heart and not to be taken lightly.
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.