In fact, it is doing the opposite. So long as Washington refuses to change course, the U.S. will continue to confront major problems that are the product of its own policies.

Netanyahu remains wedded to the idea that Israel's army can achieve his goal of eradicating Hamas in Gaza. But as IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari recently admitted, "anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong." In the military realm, the group maintains operational capacity, and continues to fight in areas of Gaza where Israel previously claimed Hamas had been eliminated. U.S. intelligence estimates that only 30–35% of Hamas' military wing have been killed since Oct. 7, while claiming it has recruited thousands of new volunteers over the course of the war. Hamas also remains deeply embedded in the political fabric of Gaza.

Israel can degrade Hamas' capabilities and kill their leaders, but without a route toward a credible political solution, Palestinian militancy will persist. Unfortunately, there is no sign of such a solution. Netanyahu's apparent plan moving forward is the indefinite military occupation of the enclave, and Israel's parliament recently passed a motion—with overwhelming support—rejecting Palestinian statehood, even if it is part of a negotiated settlement with Israel. This is a recipe for endless violence.

Meanwhile, the carnage Washington is subsidizing in Gaza is seriously damaging America's global standing. As many feared in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the war has gone well beyond prevention and self-defense, drawing analogies to the U.S. response to 9/11. Israel's campaign is also planting the seeds of future turmoil by killing thousands of innocent civilians, crippling Gaza's infrastructure, and producing a famine. The effects of this war will plague Gaza for generations, and Washington's involvement, most critically the provision of the weapons responsible for much of the killing, makes a mockery of the U.S.' claim to lead a "liberal" or "rules-based" international order.

Finally, there is a growing chance of regional escalation and deeper direct U.S. involvement. The war has already set off a wave of regional escalation from Lebanon to Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and between Israel and Iran directly.