The pier the U.S. built on the Gaza coastline has received its first cargo shipments. But it might not just be receiving imports. It might also be facilitating a new kind of export. Although perhaps we won’t hear about that till after the November election. 

POLITICO sums up the Biden administration’s ostensible thinking on the pier: “A way for Biden to show his critics that he’s taking more steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while also circumventing the Israeli government’s reluctance to open its land borders to additional aid trucks.” 

In other words, the Biden administration has a clever plan for showing support for Gaza (some would say, for Hamas) while still supporting Israel. But maybe their plan is too clever by half. If it seems to you, dear reader, that it’s impossible to simultaneously support Israel and Gaza/Hamas, well, you’re not alone: The vast majority of Americans agree with you. According to various recent polls, approval for Biden’s Gaza policy hovers between the high 20s and low 30s. Moreover, the Gaza quagmire can’t be disentangled from the overall downdrift in the 46th president’s standing.