WHERE IS PRESIDENT BIDEN? THIS IS HIS FIRST TEST AGAINST TERRORISM, AND HE’S FAILING

JERUSALEM – Where is Israel’s No. 1 strategic ally?

Where is the leader of Israel’s closest friend and global partner?

Where, exactly, is President Joe Biden?

Israel is facing the worst terror onslaught since 2014 – more than 1,000 rockets, mortars and anti-tank missiles have been fired at us from the Gaza Strip in the past 48 hours.

Yet, Biden is AWOL.

He has not personally and publicly condemned Hamas and Islamic Jihad for committing war crimes?

He has not condemned a group of terrorists firing their rockets from civilian population areas in Gaza, thus endangering Palestinian lives, and targeting civilian population centers all throughout Israel, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

He has not even personally called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to show solidarity or offer U.S. assistance.

Meanwhile, his team is offering mealy-mouthed statements that hardly show a decisive stand with an ally under attack.

Why?

The Biden administration issued a statement defending our right of self-defense against rocket attacks. (Thanks, a lot.)

But, State Department spokesman Ned Price then said, “We urge de-escalation on all sides.”

What in the world is he talking about?

Would the U.S. “de-escalate” defending its citizens in the face of a 1,000 terrorist attacks?

Of course not.

True, the Biden team did delay action on a resolution by the U.N. Security Council this week aimed at condemning Israel.

“The initial draft statement issued a harsh condemnation against Israel, calling on it to halt ‘settlement activities, demolitions and evictions,’” according to the Saudi-owned news site, Al Arabiya.

But there is little evidence that the White House and State Department don’t agree with the statement – they simply told U.N. diplomats in Manhattan that they needed more time to deliberate on the matter.

That stance isn’t making anyone happy.

Arab and European allies pushing for the resolution – including 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council – have been frustrated by Washington’s refusal to support the condemnation.

Israeli officials are upset that the White House has not completely shut down the effort and been more clearly on its side.

“Shortly after the [U.N.] meeting ended, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan issued a statement tearing into the Biden administration over the aforementioned State Department press release, saying it was ‘unacceptable,’” reported the Times of Israel.

“We are in disagreement with the [Biden] administration and hope to see it wise up in light of the Palestinian disturbances and violence,” Erdan tweeted in Hebrew.

“Pressure must be exerted on the party that spreads violence and hatred – the Palestinian Authority and Abu Mazen (President Mahmoud Abbas), and not on Israel.”

Weakness and dithering in the face of evil has consequences.

America’s allies are watching Biden’s weak response.

So are Israel’s enemies.

This is Biden’s first test against radical Islamist terrorism, and he is failing.

Let’s pray he can – and will – correct course, and quickly.