Chicago- March 07, 2024
Just one week ago, President Joe Biden, ice cream cone in hand, signaled a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas could be in place in a matter of days − a political victory he desperately needed, and one he could taste.
r“My national security advisor tells me we’re close,” he said in a Van Leeuwen’s ice cream shop in New York City following an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. “We’re close. It’s not done yet. My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a cease-fire.”
Not only did the breakthrough fail to happen, but cease-fire negotiations also appear to have stalled, tensions are running high, and conditions in Gaza have deteriorated to the point that the U.S. has begun airdropping food to Palestinians amid warnings of widespread starvation and disease.
For Biden, the elusiveness of a deal to pause fighting and release some of the hostages held by Hamas means he will deliver his State of the Union address on Thursday, the five-month mark of the war, without the benefit of a crucial political victory and a key talking point.
Biden is expected to use the high-profile speech before a joint session of Congress to promote the achievements of his first three years in office and to make the case for his vision for the future as he prepares for a rematch with former President Donald Trump in November.
The themes he will touch on will include lowering health care premiums and the cost of prescription drugs, making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share, protecting women’s reproductive health and uniting the country behind an agenda that includes protecting privacy, curbing fentanyl abuse, helping veterans and ending cancer.
