New reporting says the Biden White House had leverage over Israel during the Gaza war and chose not to use it — bad for Democrats trying to blame Trump for the current policy.

• Biden was deeply involved in Gaza decisions and brushed aside reports of Palestinian civilian deaths, including a strike on a refugee camp that killed scores of people with a US-made bomb.
• The State Department drafted sanctions against specific Israeli units that met the legal bar; Antony Blinken never acted on them, and Israel later dropped its own investigations.
• Careers and money shaped the caution: officials feared criticizing Israel would cost them future jobs, and pro-Israel donors held sway over the party, including at the 2024 Democratic convention.
• Palestinian Americans trapped in Gaza got little help, and Washington still does not know how many were killed.
• The book is *Crossing the Red Line* by Akbar Shahid Ahmed, built on roughly 175 interviews; Jake Sullivan has been pushing back on it privately.

Outlook: The same pattern of no consequences for Israel is carrying into Trump's term, now stretching to the Iran conflict.