Biden delivers final foreign policy speech as Gaza ceasefire talks continue

In a fiery speech delivered as he prepared to leave office, US President Joe Biden defended his administration's foreign policy. The speech, coming just days before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, was seen as a summation of Biden's four years in power.

Speaking at the State Department, Biden reviewed his administration's efforts to rebuild American leadership on the global stage, pursue a human rights-centered foreign policy, and unite allies, as he had promised upon taking office. He stated, "We are at an inflection point. The post-Cold War era is over, and a new one has begun." He also emphasized that the United States had faced various crises over the past four years, but had emerged stronger through these trials.

However, critics have given lower marks to the Biden administration's performance in some areas, particularly regarding US support for Israel in the Gaza war. Nevertheless, the outgoing president sought to convey a clear message: that the United States was stronger than when he entered the White House, while its adversaries were weaker. Biden argued that his administration was leaving the next administration with a "very strong hand," a United States with more friends and stronger allies, and with its rivals weaker and under pressure.

Biden's speech came just seven days before Trump's inauguration on January 20. During the campaign, Trump had denounced Biden's foreign policy, accusing Democrats of weakening America's position overseas while allowing the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to worsen. However, Biden painted a different picture in his Monday address. He argued that his leadership had strengthened the United States' position in technology, economics, and strategy to confront its rival, China. He also praised his administration's role in uniting NATO in support of Ukraine.

Biden also defended the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, arguing that it fulfilled an agreement made with the Taliban. He stated that ending the war allowed the US to focus its energy and resources on more pressing challenges and claimed to be "the first president in decades not to leave the war in Afghanistan to his successor."

The war in Gaza seemed to be the largest shadow over Biden’s speech. Upon his arrival, protesters shouted "War Criminal!" Critics accuse Washington of continuing to supply military aid to Israel, which they equate to supporting atrocities overseas. Since the war began in October 2023, an estimated 46,584 Palestinians have died, and UN experts have warned that Israel’s actions in the Palestinian enclave “fit a pattern of genocide.” Nonetheless, Biden focused his Monday remarks on the ceasefire plan approved by the UN Security Council in June, which his administration had spearheaded.

While a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas remains elusive, Biden expressed hope for recent diplomatic efforts. He stated that he had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and was about to speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Biden emphasized, “In many years of public service, I’ve learned never to give up. Too many innocent people have been killed, too many communities destroyed. The Palestinian people deserve peace.”

Responding to Biden’s speech, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said that Biden was trying to “put a positive spin on many things that are clearly very negative.” He argued that the latest round of talks was “eight months too late” and blamed the Netanyahu government’s foot-dragging and the complicity of the current administration.

In summary, Biden’s speech represents a full circle in American politics. Upon entering the White House in 2021, Biden promised to contrast with the isolationist and erratic foreign policy platform of Trump’s first term. As he leaves office in 2025, he urged the incoming Trump second administration to avoid returning to past policies. He also touted his efforts to combat climate change, including rejoining the Paris Climate Accord.

Biden also sought to contrast himself with Trump by touting America’s alliances. He stated that the United States was stronger, its allies were stronger, and its adversaries and competitors were weaker than they were four years ago. He also pointed out that the US had achieved these goals not by starting wars, but by increasing diplomatic power and building the most allies in American history. Biden’s remarks stood in contrast to recent comments by Trump. While Biden highlighted “strengthened partnerships throughout the Americas,” Trump has pledged to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada and Mexico and called for seizing control of the Panama Canal from Panama.

Biden also praised the re-established alliances in the Indo-Pacific region, including cooperation with regional allies like Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. He also emphasized the importance of the NATO alliance, despite Trump's repeated suggestions that he might withdraw from it. Biden advised the United States to capitalize on the diplomatic and geopolitical opportunities already created, to continue uniting countries to address the challenge posed by China, ensure the end of Putin's war, and capitalize on new opportunities for a more stable and integrated Middle East.