Biden says Netanyahu's approach to war in Gaza is a 'mistake'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

April 9, 2024 11:05 PM EDT


WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approach to the war in Gaza is a "mistake," U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview published on Tuesday, offering further criticism of Israel's handling of the conflict.

"I think what he's doing is a mistake. I don't agree with his approach," Biden said in comments to Univision, a U.S. Spanish-language TV network. Biden has also previously called Israel's bombing in Gaza "indiscriminate and its military actions "over the top."

The White House said last week that the president, in a call with Netanyahu, threatened to make conditional U.S. support for Israel's offensive on it taking concrete steps to protect aid workers and civilians. That call followed an Israeli airstrike that killed seven staff, opens new tab of the aid group World Central Kitchen.

"What I'm calling for is for the Israelis to just call for a ceasefire, allow for the next six, eight weeks, total access to all food and medicine going into the country," Biden said in Tuesday's interview.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/biden-says-netanyahus-approach-war-gaza-is-mistake-2024-04-10/

[Tetrachloride]

1. this doesn't sound sternly worded

[dutch777]

2. Shut down the arms shipments Joe. Do it for justice & do it for your re-election.....stop the protests are your rallies

I have no illusion that anything will stop Bibi and the IDF because Bibi has to play to his domestic base or he is history. But WE don't need to be on the wrong side of history.

[Basic LA]

3. The headline is stronger than the story.

I saw the headline and thought, oh boy, this looks good. Got my hopes up. But the story doesn't live up to the title or actually move the needle much at all.
So we're still about where we were on the ongoing genocide, awaiting action. Damn.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The headline used a direct quote

Multiple sources have that same quote.

I think people have seen enough now that Biden is NOT going to do an immediate and instant 180 on this issue and is obviously going to make positional changes at a deliberate pace lest the media start up with the nonsensical "flip flop" crap.

Is it painful? Of course it is. Politics is ugly and geopolitics can often be worse.

[Basic LA]

7. No, I'm sure it's a direct quote.

I wasn't questioning you, but the headline itself.

Great post. Incremental steps as you say.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. I know

I have been following the agonizingly slow policy shift and interestingly enough, most of the news sources out there picked that quote out of that Univsion interview, to use for their own headlines too...

[Novara]

4. This is a process, people

Biden is in a shitty position here. He's already pissed off young voters and Muslims in America. He's got to do the electoral calculations: is losing the Muslim vote more significant than losing the Jewish vote (if he immediately shuts down all military aid without going through this process first)?

So he has to go through this process. And he is making progress. Previously he called for a cease-fire to both sides. Now he is putting the onus on Israel. So this is progress.

I don't envy him having to walk this tightrope.

[Richard D]

6. It's a great plan!

6-8 weeks of ceasefire is a great start to allow Hamas to regroup and re-arm, not to mention that any remaining hostages will not be returned to their families and loved ones.

[maxsolomon]

9. It's not the worst plan.

Israel unilaterally shows concern for innocent Gazans and prioritizes preventing famine over recovering their hostages.

That should sell better than no ceasefire and dropping 2000 lb American bombs on refugees in Rafah.

I'd vastly prefer the Hamas make a ceasefire deal and return hostages.