President Joe Biden has publicly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the scale of civilian casualties from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Biden stated that the safety of innocent Palestinians is a great concern and that the actions taken must be consistent with preventing them from being hurt, murdered, killed, or lost.
Biden criticizes Israel’s military campaign, contrasting with White House officials who argue that Israel has targeted strikes to prevent civilian deaths. Biden criticized Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, for not wanting anything remotely approaching a two-state solution. He suggested that Netanyahu will need to empower the Palestinian Authority to become a partner in the peace process toward the two-state solution, which Israeli hard-liners oppose. He also stressed that the U.S. will not do anything other than protect Israel in the process. Biden’s comments come as the U.S. continues to maintain staunch support for Israel despite growing concerns over the scale of civilian casualties from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
President Biden has announced that national security adviser Jake Sullivan will visit the Israeli war Cabinet to emphasize the US commitment to Israel and the need to protect civilian life and ensure more humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will also visit to step up international efforts to protect the free flow of commerce through the Red Sea, disrupted by Iran-backed Houthi militants attacking vessels heading into Israel. This comes amid an overwhelming vote at the United Nations General Assembly supporting a cease-fire in Gaza, further isolating Washington.
The General Assembly passed a resolution against the cease-fire, with 153 votes in favor and 23 abstentions. The resolution follows a U.N. Security Council resolution that failed due to a U.S. veto. U.N. member states are promoting the narrative that the U.S. is alone in opposing it. The US administration is causing significant damage to its ties with key countries beyond the Middle East, according to former US diplomat Josh Paul. Paul argues that the US is losing votes in the United Nations for condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and may lose votes if seen as hypocritical or walking away from its values.
Supporters of Israel argue that a cease-fire would allow Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror organization, to regroup and plan future attacks. Julie Rayman, managing director of policy and political affairs at the American Jewish Committee, believes that a cease-fire gives Hamas legitimacy it hasn’t earned and gives trust to terrorist leaders who are not trustworthy. Hamas fighters killed 1,200 people and taken over 200 hostages in the Gaza Strip, causing displacement and death in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
