NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 7 p.m. ET show.

Last night, President Joe Biden caved to his progressive left and now openly pushes for Israel not to restart its offensive against Hamas. As a reader of War Notes, you knew this was coming.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East saying the same thing.

• Ground truth: Biden won’t pressure or punish the Iranians, Hamas or the Qataris. 
• The only group Biden asserts control over is the Israelis.
• We predict : He will try to bully Israel into a prolonged cease-fire that will only benefit Hamas or place serious restrictions on military support to Israel to assuage demands of the Hamas sympathizers in the Democratic party. 

Showdown ahead: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preempted the coming American pressure for a long-term cease-fire, saying in a statement today, “There is no situation in which we do not go back to fighting until the end.” 

Change in Biden Policy Explained

Watch this short clip of the Oakland City Council trying to condemn Hamas. Angry citizens get up and deny the Oct. 7 attacks ever happened and defend Hamas as freedom fighters. They argued that criticizing Hamas is racist and plays into “genocidal propaganda.”

• The pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party continues to grow in size and power. Biden sees that. Take Michigan as an example. 
• Axios quotes Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News, saying, “Unless Biden turns into Jesus Christ and brings some Palestinians back from the dead, we’re not supporting him.” Arab American News is based in Dearborn, Michigan. 
• Axios helpfully points out in the same article, “In Michigan, Biden won in 2020 by 154,000 votes. Census estimates put the state’s Arab American population at least 278,000.”

As we’ve told you for a while, Biden needs the support of those who want to destroy Israel and to support Israel — that doesn’t work. 

• The New York Post version: “Biden must be reminded Hamas is a terrorist group as he panders to Muslims in secret, publicly backs Israel.”

This political reality explains Biden’s tweet from last night that shows a deeply flawed understanding of the Middle East: “Hamas unleashed a terrorist attack because they fear nothing more than Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace. To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek. We can’t do that.”

Hamas unleashed the Oct. 7 attack because they want to eliminate Israel and kill Jews worldwide. We know this because Hamas says so. 

So Biden proposes keeping Israel from destroying Hamas because destroying Hamas is what Hamas wants. “We can’t do that.”

• We can’t do what exactly?
  • We can’t allow Hamas to rearm and once again build military command facilities and weapons depots under hospitals?
  • We can’t allow Hamas to return and once again launch a surprise attack against Israel?
  • We can’t allow Hamas to consolidate power in the West Bank by gaining the release of terrorists and begin another suicide bombing campaign?

The Tweet helpfully ignores Palestinians (in Gaza) voted for Hamas and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza continue to celebrate and overwhelmingly (70+ percent) support Hamas’s slaughter of innocent Israelis on Oct. 7. 

Seriously…who in the White House Communications shop writes this stuff? What’s worse is that some believe it, like Bill Burns, CIA Chief and architect of Biden’s foreign policy disasters, including Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.  

Burns is running the U.S. side of negotiations in Qatar. A self-congratulatory Washington Post puff piece helpfully describes his strategy. 

• Honest question: if you read the article…was it written by a CIA press shop or actual journalists?

The Washington Post piece notes Hamas welched on its original deal to include three Americans in the hostage release. 

Instead they only released one.

The one American released is related to a Hunter Biden art buyer. 

• Real Clear Investigations quoted a Biden official saying, “The President ‘raised Abigail in nearly all of his phone calls with counterparts as well as with the Amir of Qatar on Saturday.’”
• Remember when the White House promised Hunter wouldn’t know the identity of any art buyers to assuage any ethical concerns?

We Can’t Even Light Christmas Trees in Peace

Hamas sympathizers plan to protest at the tree lighting ceremony in D.C. They already did in New York City and plan another one tonight.

• Reminder: there are still no arrests weeks after pro-Hamas folks tried to break down the White House fence. 

Tehran Looks to Shoot Down/Force Down an American Airliner

Researchers at the University of Texas traced back GPS spoofing in the Middle East to (surprise!) Iran. 

• GPS spoofing makes airliners tell pilots they are in a different location. Meaning Iran could trick an airliner into flying over Iran’s airspace. This is an easy way to either force an airliner down and take hostages or to shoot it down.
• Is Tehran looking for an excuse to shoot or force down an airliner? Looks like it.
• More from researchers: “It would seem there is little anyone can do to stop it.”

Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.