Golden State Today

Former Pacific Research Institute (PRI) speechwriter Tim Anaya said that Biden's avoidance of the Israel and Hamas issue until late in his State of the Union Address, alongside his ambiguous stance on the matter, likely left Israel supporters feeling dissatisfied and questioning his commitment to their concerns. Anaya was a guest on a recent episode of the Next Round Podcast.

"On Israel and Hamas, he didn't even get into the subject until page 15 of 19 of the text," said Anaya on the Next Round Podcast hosted by the Pacific Research Institute think tank. "It's obvious that he's having political headaches with his base on the issue. But, you know, he talked about and kind of made a fait accompli, the only solution is a two-state solution. That's obviously not what Prime Minister Netanyahu sees”

"It kind of makes you wonder when you hear Biden say these things, you know, what are the supporters of Hamas think when you see, you know, who supposedly the self-proclaimed biggest friend of Israel kind of equivocates on the issue," Anaya said. “I think if you are a supporter of Israel, you probably came away from the president's speech feeling largely dissatisfied."

This full episode is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Anaya served as a speechwriter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and various legislators. He now holds the role of Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Pacific Research Institute.

Next Round is a weekly podcast put on by the nonpartisan think tank Pacific Research Institute. Topics explored on the podcast revolve around California politics and free market ideas in the state. Guests include elected officials, members of the media, and policy leaders. 

Pasadena, California-based Pacific Research Institute, founded in 1979, is an advocacy organization whose goal is to “champion freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility for all individuals by advancing free-market policy solutions,” according to the group’s website. Its president is Sally Pipes.