US president’s remarks to Time magazine about PM’s role in conflict draw heavily critical response from Israeli government
Joe Biden has said that there is “every reason” to draw the conclusion that Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political self-preservation.
Biden made the remarks about the Israeli prime minister in an interview with Time magazine published on Tuesday morning, drawing a sharp response from the Israeli government, which accused the US president of straying from diplomatic norms.
Netanyahu’s popularity plummeted after the 7 October attack by Hamas, which exposed serious flaws in Israeli security. Most political observers say Netanyahu would lose elections if they were held now, and would be forced into opposition, facing court hearings on corruption charges. But elections have been put off until the war is over, or at least until major military operations are deemed to have been completed.
Time asked Biden whether he believed Netanyahu was “prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation”.
“I’m not going to comment on that,” the president said in response, but added: “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”
If only he were in some kind of position of power to do something about it.
you know he’s a) not prime minister of israel b) not in charge of israel’s military and c) not in congress, which apportions funds, right?
Yeah…as commander and chief of the US armed forces he’s completely powerless in stopping the flow of US weapons to Israel.
Just imagine an American president invoking the AUMF to do something good for once.
He certainly is the President of the country sending weapons to Israel with multiple laws expressly forbidding him from sending weapons to a genocidal regime. (Leahy Law and Foreign Service Act)
The FSA actually says they can’t send any assistance to a government that, (among other things), engages in prolonged detention without charges. Something Israel has done for decades.
We have the laws. We just need the Moral Fiber to fucking use them.
You know that Biden can (and should) invoke Leahy law against israel which blocks the export of all weapons to a country committing war crimes, right?
He’s bypassed congress multiple times to approve weapon shipments to Israel btw. Just a cool little fun fact.
Uwu joes just a widdle pwesident wearing a diaper held on with a giant safety pin, he can’t do anything to stop the genocide…