By Bruce Wolpe. Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre and Ticker News US political contributor

The toll on both sides of the Israel-Gaza war is horrendous, and the rockets and air strikes continue unabated. 

In the name of the Palestinians, and justice for them, Hamas is determined to inflict damage and fear on Israelis. Israel is determined to cripple Hamas to such an extent that it can no longer wage war for many years at least, and to maintain full control over the country’s destiny.  

This is the first big foreign policy crisis of the Biden presidency.  Biden has been clear:  Israel has the right to defend itself.  And there must be a two-state solution. He has engaged in direct diplomacy with Israel and several Arab governments. 

The humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and a growing consensus in world opinion that this has to end, has also spurred the meeting of the UN Security Council.

This war has erupted as the Biden agenda is at another key inflection point. Biden is working steadily to see if there are Republican allies on his major infrastructure bill — a major program to help rebuild America and widen the benefits of his America Rescue Plan to end the pandemic and stimulate the economy.  Biden knows he has to pass this package in Congress if he is to continue to succeed as president.  Republicans understand these stakes perfectly, and they have little incentive to help make the Biden presidency a success.  

Biden’s goal this week:  bring the war in Gaza and Israel under control so that it does not overwhelm the urgency of the Biden agenda at home to bring America back.  And keep up efforts to make the Republicans honest partners in his legislative agenda — or, as may well be needed in the end, keep the Democrats in Congress together under his wing and cement their support to push his program through the House and Senate and enacted into law.  

End the war over there, and keep building the country at home.