He got super close to asking that, and Lew’s answer was completely infuriating, as was every response he gave. But you’re right, I wish they would ask it outright.

Q: In the essay, you write a lot about the shared values of America and Israel. But today you have talked about pushing them to deliver aid, and you’ve talked about the fact that once Trump came into office and that push wasn’t there, the humanitarian situation got worse. Why was there a need to push so hard? Why do they need to be pushed to not ethnically cleanse Gaza? Why do they need to be pushed to have their military act in an honorable way? If they are our shared ally and our great friend, why aren’t they doing these things on their own?

A: The environment in October and November of 2023 was how do you sustain an enemy that just slaughtered twelve hundred of your citizens? You had to create a way for the aid to get in without it having the effect of making your enemy succeed. It is pretty unusual.