President Joe Biden publicly chastised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, despite his unwavering support for Israel, in an indication that the US is growing increasingly alarmed about the number of civilian deaths resulting from Israel’s military assault in Gaza.
Israel is aware that we have made it plain to them that we continue to have serious concerns about the safety of innocent Palestinians. Thus, during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House, Biden stated during a news conference, “The actions they’re taking must be consistent with attempting to do everything possible to prevent innocent Palestinian civilians from being hurt, murdered, killed, lost, etc.”
Zelenskyy is in the United States to advocate for military and financial support for his nation in its defence against Russia’s incursion. Republican lawmakers are obstructing aid to Israel and Ukraine because they want changes made to U.S. immigration policy.
With his public criticism of Israel’s military campaign, which is currently in its third month, Biden has become increasingly outspoken. According to a White House transcript of his remarks earlier on Tuesday, Biden stated that Israel is beginning to lose favour globally as a result of its “indiscriminate bombings” while speaking off-camera to Democratic fundraisers for his 2024 reelection effort.
In contrast to White House officials, Biden stated that Israel had taken steps to make its strikes more focused in order to prevent civilian casualties.
“Netanyahu is a wonderful friend, but I believe he needs to change. It’s really hard for him to travel around in Israel because of this government, Biden remarked.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, was singled out by the president.
He remarked, “Ben-Gvir and company and the new folks, they want nothing that even remotely resembles a two-state solution.” “They want retribution against all Palestinians, not just Hamas, as they should have done for what the Palestinians did.”
He made the suggestion that in order for the Palestinian Authority to cooperate in the peace process leading to the two-state solution—which is opposed by Israeli hardliners—Bibi would need to give it more authority.
“You cannot claim that there will never be a Palestinian state. And that will be the difficult part, Biden stated, reiterating that the United States will not take any action aside from “protecting Israel in the process.”
In order to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to Israel and to safeguard civilian lives, Biden announced that national security advisor Jake Sullivan will visit the area this week and meet with the Israeli war cabinet. He will also make sure that more humanitarian supplies reaches Gaza.
In order to strengthen international efforts to safeguard the unhindered flow of trade across the Red Sea, which has been hampered by Iran-backed Houthi militants assaulting vessels on route to Israel, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will also visit the area.
Biden made his comments in the midst of a resounding UN General Assembly vote in favour of a cease-fire in Gaza that further isolates Washington. In the 193-member world organisation, there were 23 abstentions, 10 opposition votes, and 153 in favour.
“It is our responsibility to work towards the adoption of this resolution and to compel Israel to abide by it in an effort to preserve the lives of the living. Palestinian permanent observer to the UN Riyad Mansour said, “And those who are shielding Israel to comply with the global consensus.”
The vote came after a similar resolution was vetoed by the United States last week in the U.N. Security Council. The General Assembly does not have veto power.
Resolutions passed by the General Assembly have political weight but are not legally binding. According to Richard Gowan, U.N. director of the International Crisis Group, member nations are “creating a sense of moral pressure on the U.S. to change its posture” and “shaping the narrative that the U.S. is standing alone in opposing the cease-fire.”
He told VOA that “the Arab group at the U.N. wants to make the Americans nervous.” “It seeks to convey the idea that America’s position is costing it goodwill among other countries.”
Biden’s detractors claim that Washington’s interests are put in jeopardy by his steadfast support of Israel.
Josh Paul, a former U.S. diplomat who quit in protest over U.S. policy of delivering armaments to Israel without oversight, claimed that the administration is causing “deep damage and lasting damage” to its ties with important nations outside of the Middle East.
In addition, Paul told VOA, “we are fighting, for instance, in the UN to win the support of the Global South for our just condemnation of Russia’s heinous invasion of Ukraine.” “We will also lose votes if it appears that we are behaving inconsistently or that we are straying from our principles.”
A cease-fire would give Hamas, an organisation recognised as a terrorist organisation by the United States, time to reorganise and plot more assaults, according to administration officials and other pro-Israel activists.
According to Julie Rayman, managing director of policy and political affairs at the American Jewish Committee, a cease-fire gives Hamas legitimacy that it hasn’t earned.
“It’s putting faith in terrorist leaders who have shown time and time again that they are not reliable,” she stated to VOA.
On October 7, Hamas militants invaded neighbouring Israeli communities from the Gaza Strip, murdering 1,200 people and capturing over 200 prisoners. According to Gaza health experts, Israel’s military reaction has resulted in the bloodiest campaign of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict, uprooting at least 2 million Palestinians and killing over 18,000 of them.
Margaret Besheer, a VOA correspondent covering the UN, contributed to this story.
