President Biden said on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing more harm than good for Israel with his management of the conflict with Hamas, although Biden emphasized that he would not withdraw support for Israel.
Biden told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart that Netanyahu has the right to defend and pursue Hamas, but he needs to pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a result of the actions taken.
Biden added, in his opinion, Netanyahu is harming Israel more than helping and that it goes against what Israel stands for, describing it as a major mistake.
The remarks highlighted the tension between the U.S. and Israel as Israel carries out a military campaign against Hamas following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed over 1,000 Israelis. Thousands of Palestinians have also been killed in subsequent shelling and fighting in Gaza, prompting calls from progressives for the U.S. to halt or condition aid. The comments underscored the friction between the U.S. and Israel as the latter carries out a military campaign against Hamas in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that killed more than 1,000 Israelis. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in subsequent shelling and fighting in Gaza, prompting calls from progressives for the U.S. to cut off or to Israel.
Biden emphasized in the interview on Saturday that he had no intention of cutting off support for Israel and acknowledged the frustration among Americans who have protested his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Biden stressed that the defense of Israel is still crucial, and there is no red line for cutting off all weapons so they don't have the Iron Dome for protection. He expressed concerns about the over 30,000 Palestinians who have died, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
For months, the president has been urging Israel to do more to protect civilians and allow aid into Gaza through border crossings. The U.S. has recently started conducting airdrops into Gaza to deliver meals and other supplies, with more drops planned in the near future.
During the State of the Union on Thursday, Biden announced plans for the U.S. military to lead the building of a port along the coast of Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea to increase the amount of aid reaching Palestinian civilians.
Progressives have called for the White House to support a permanent cease-fire in the conflict, but Biden and others have argued that such an agreement would enable Hamas to regroup. Instead, the administration has backed a temporary pause in fighting that would last at least six weeks and allow hostages to be freed and more aid to enter Gaza.
On Super Tuesday, over a quarter million voters cast ballots for “uncommitted” or “no preference” in Democratic primaries, widely seen as a protest of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. The protest vote yielded 11 delegates in Minnesota, but Biden still easily won the primary and gained 64 delegates.
Biden said on Saturday on MSNBC that he understands why people are upset and want something to be done about the situation with families and people dying.
He added that the belief that it's genocide is a different situation.
