President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday for the first time since Biden said the prime minister was doing more harm than good to Israel and a top Democrat suggested new elections in Israel.
They talked about the recent events in Israel and Gaza, including the situation in Rafah and efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, the White House reported.
Biden has tried to balance his frustrations with Netanyahu with his administration's support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas. He has repeatedly stated that Israel has the right to defend itself after Hamas's attacks last October, while also urging Israel to do more to protect civilians and allow aid into Gaza.
In an interview with MSNBC last weekend, Biden said he believed Netanyahu was “hurting Israel more than helping.”
Biden told MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart, “What’s happening is he has a right to defend Israel, a right to continue to pursue Hamas. But he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken.”
Biden was caught on a hot mic after his State of the Union address on March 7 telling Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) that he planned to have a “come-to-Jesus meeting” with Netanyahu.
Democrats, and progressives in particular, have been increasingly vocal about their concerns with Netanyahu’s government as thousands of Palestinians have been killed in fighting in Gaza and limited humanitarian aid has gotten into the area.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) added pressure on Netanyahu, saying that the prime minister had “lost his way,” pointing to the political and legal battles he has faced, while also acknowledging that the prime minister’s “highest priority is the security of Israel.”
“As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after Oct. 7,” Schumer said, referring to Hamas’s attack. “The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.”
Schumer’s remarks drew criticism from Republicans, some of whom argued it was inappropriate for the senator to call for elections and changes in leadership in another democratic government.
Biden later described it as a “good speech,” while Netanyahu called Schumer’s remarks “totally inappropriate.”
