Secretary of State Anthony Blinken postponed a scheduled trip to the Middle East amid heightened tensions in the area and a possible attack on Israel by Iran. The trip ostensibly was to continue to pressure Israel to agree a ceasefire with the terrorists who began their war to exterminate Israel.

Possible attack by Iran on Israel? What better time for a senior US government official to visit Israel could there be? SecState’s presence in Israel would greatly raise the stakes for Iran as it contemplates, or executes, its own effort to destroy Israel.

Blinken could have used the time in Israel to coordinate with them on defenses against an Iranian attack and against a coordinated set of attacks by Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iran, as well as moves post attack to finish Hamas and to kinetically punish Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iran.

Instead, Blinken—consistent with the Biden-Harris administration generally—chickened out.