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submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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.”

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[-] kvasir476@lemmy.world 153 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

So we're going to stop supplying Israel with weapons, money, and international cover, right? RIGHT?

[-] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 54 points 5 months ago

No, Congress is going after the ICC for daring to investigate Israeli leaders for War Crimes

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

Good thing Congress can't do shit about it short of repealing the Leahy Law with a veto proof majority.

[-] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

Now what would be comical (not actually comical) is to see Congress declare war for the first time since world war 2. They can do so without the presidents approval I believe, and can fund it against the presidents wishes. Now.... The president can just tell the troops not to go to war though, showing how broken that system is.

No war, the president can send troops. War, the president can not send troops.
So the other representatives don't matter to awfully much when it comes to starting wars. Now ending them on the other hand .. Congress holds that with the funding part.

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[-] SeattleRain@lemmy.world 51 points 5 months ago

If only he were in some kind of position of power to do something about it.

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[-] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 45 points 5 months ago

You're not supposed to say the quiet part out loud! -Isreal

[-] Excrubulent@slrpnk.net 16 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

He literally didn't even say it, he just admitted that there are reasons for other people to think it. This headline wants him to have said something much stronger than he actually did, and even then Israel is throwing a hissy fit over anything short of full-throated support.

[-] MapleEngineer@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago
[-] Excrubulent@slrpnk.net 3 points 5 months ago

Yeah, not trying to argue, just pointing out how it's even worse. It's so easy to accept a false premise when someone states it up front like this headline does.

[-] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 42 points 5 months ago

And Biden is prolonging it for political loss lol

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 35 points 5 months ago

Full quote:

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.”

But he still won't even fucking say it...

And people are already trying to frame this as him being "tough" on Israel.

No matter what happens, no matter what atrocities they commit, Biden will always be loyal to Israel over all else.

Which should be immediately disqualifying for president of America, for reasons that should be obvious by now.

[-] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 29 points 5 months ago

"There's every reason for people to believe X, but I'm not going to comment on it" is commenting on it. If your friend said "there's every reason to believe GSF murdered a hobo for fun, but I'm not going to comment on it", you're not going to thank them for not commenting on it.

Biden has been WAAAAAY too deferential to Israel, and this is kind of a weak ass way to say it, but it was definitely said.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago

But he still won't even fucking say it...

He just did. In diplomatic terms, he screamed it to the heavens.

International messaging isn't played at the level of you and I shooting the shit between ourselves. Netanyahu likely shit himself in rage and fear over this.

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago

Bruh, there have been other presidents...

And they all said much worse, much earlier when Israel pulled their shit.

Stop pretending this means anythingnwhilenBiden is still lying and saying there's no genocide while.providing munitions.

For fucks sake, it's worse if Biden actually knows what's going on and this is all he's doing.

[-] kamenlady@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

It surely means something, when this was said by the American President and it definitely means more than what other countries said.

America is THE Ally for Israel.

Just like Germany, America can't just drop Support for Israel. It's the first time, one of the 2 "never turn by back to Israel" supporters made such a remark.

Other countries saying something is like other kids in school talking about you.

USA or Germany saying something is like Mom or Dad coming into your room and saying it to your face.

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I'm sorry that wasn't clear

I meant other presidents of America.

Who were all able to pull Israel back.

When Obama did it, Biden publicly called him out

Biden recounted in private that when he was vice president in 2014 and Israel mounted a military assault on Gaza, Obama and his staff rejected his belief, held for decades, that the best way to approach the Israelis is to hug them close but not criticize them, the people familiar with his comments said.

Instead, they said Biden has noted, Obama publicly admonished Israel’s actions and voiced concern for Palestinian civilian deaths early into the 2014 conflict. As a result, Biden has argued, Obama squandered any ability to influence the Israeli government as it invaded Gaza, said the people familiar with his comments.

They said Biden’s message when he revisited the 2014 debate was: I was right then, and I am right now.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/biden-obama-divide-closely-support-israel-rcna127107

The reason it's gone this far, is Israel knows Biden will never stop supporting them. They can do whatever they want.

[-] kamenlady@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago

Consider my comment moot to your point.

I see what you meant now and these are all facts that i agree overall.

There are also European elections coming up. Together with the presidential election, the results will influence the 2 wars we have going on.

But I'm afraid, the only choices are:

  • Everything continues like it is now

  • Everything will get much worse

& I feel like we are straying far away from:

  • Make things better, for everyone
[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yep.

And the worst part about is "make things better, for everyone" not being picked, is that would make it a lot easier to avoid "everything will get much worse".

Say what you want about Bill and Obama's actions while in office, but they were charismatic as hell and ran progressive campaigns. Campaigns that easily got them into and kept them in the White House.

Yet for some reason when Trump showed up, we have to start running candidates like Hillary and Biden?

There's no rational reason behind it, if the only thing that matters is beating trump, we should give the voters what they want.

We need to run candidates who are similar to Bill and Obama, not people that just used to stand next to them a lot like their wife or VP. Charisma doesn't just rub off on people like that.

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[-] WamGams@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 months ago

Biden essentially just told the world the US has no faith in Netanyahu leadership, which is essentially telling the Likkud to disband and form a new coalition government.

I get that you guys are demanding he use a word that the ICC has refused to use, but he is laying the groundwork yo accomplish an end to this but it doesn't fit your narrative.

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Biden essentially just told the world the US has no faith in Netanyahu leadership

I suggest you read the actual interview, although it's hard to understand what Biden says before the media trims it into sound bites.

Interviewer: Not at all. Some in Israel have suggested that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation. Do you believe that?

Biden: I'm not going to comment on that. There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion. And I would cite tha as—before the war began, the blowback he was getting from the Israeli military for wanting to change the constitu—change the court. And so it's an internal domestic debate that seems to have no consequence. And whether he would change his position or not, it's hard to say, but it has not been helpful.

https://time.com/6984968/joe-biden-transcript-2024-interview/

He also blames Hamas that there's no ceasefire:

And whose fault is it that the that deal, the ceasefire for hostages has not been consummated? Is it Hamas or Israel or both?

Biden: Hamas. Hamas could end this tomorrow. Hamas could say (unintelligible) and done period. And, but, and the last offer Israel made was very generous in terms of who they'd be willing to release, what they'd give in return, et cetera. Bibi is under enormous pressure on the hostages, on the hostages, and so he's prepared to do about anything to get the hostages back.

And denying their genocide:

More broadly, from the intelligence in the evidence you've seen, either currently or in the last months, have Israeli forces committed war crimes in Gaza?

Biden: The answer is it's uncertain and has been investigated by the Israelis themselves. The ICC is something that we don’t, we don't recognize. But one thing is certain, the people in Gaza, the Palestinians have suffered greatly, for lack of food, water, medicine, etc. And a lot of innocent people have been killed. But it is—and a lot of it has to do not just with Israelis, but what Hamas is doing in Israel as we speak. Hamas is intimidating that population. I went over right after that attack on the Israelis. What they did was—exceeded anything I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot. Tying mothers and daughters together with rope and pouring kerosene on it and burning them to death. That kind of thing, attempting to intimidate. And it is dastardly.

Important note: Biden just keep repeating things that he claimed ms Hamas did, but there's no evidence besides Israel saying "trust me bro" yet he constantly excuses Israel's human rights abuses.

Don't just read the small sound bites and fill in the gaps with what you hope it meant.

That's what trumpets do.

[-] Amir@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 months ago

Somehow this is just as incoherent as Trump transcriptions

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[-] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

I think a lot of people don't understand the implications of saying it's genocide out loud.

Since 1988 (when the US officially joined the Convention on Genocide), if the US officially says genocide is occurring, it's supposed to directly intervene. Several states are immune from the convention, including the US, but not Israel.

It puts the US in a delicate position. Cutting off all support to such a major ally basically requires saying they're committing genocide, which commits us to war.

There's a lot of people that are opposed to what's happening in Gaza, but don't want to get in a shooting war with Israel over it.

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[-] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Bidens gaslighting game so weak newspapers have to do it for him.

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[-] SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works 30 points 5 months ago

This is why I cheered when Biden pushed for a truce the past week, even though I've been really critical of Biden and that move didn't guarantee peace: because it locked the US administration into a dichotomy where they would either have to keep pushing to stop the war, or they'd look like tremendous hypocrites when Israel rejected the deal and the US continued supporting them. It's going to be quite difficult for Biden to do anything other than opposing Netanyahu until he agrees to attend the peace talks, or is ousted.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Oh this is like the third time he's tried to take a premature victory lap on a peace deal. They just don't care about looking like hypocrites. Even when Hamas is the one saying yes and Israel refuses they just blame Hamas and go on to the next news cycle like nothing happened.

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 29 points 5 months ago

"I'm not going to comment on that, except right now, with this comment"

[-] ikidd@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

He didn't really say anything other than "some people might have reason to think so".

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

Which is the world's most condescending way to say he doesn't think so but like a kid on the playground isn't going to tell us why.

[-] qarbone@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

I'm curious how the sentence "There is every reason for people to believe that" gets translated to "sure, you can think that if you want [to be wrong]."

It reads more like, "I can't say whether it's '1 plus 3' or '2 plus 2' but everybody is getting 4." The evidence is all there.

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[-] Fedizen@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

classic bidenism

[-] pjwestin@lemmy.world 27 points 5 months ago

Later on Tuesday, Biden appeared to tone down his criticism of Netanyahu. Asked whether Netanyahu was “playing politics with the war”, Biden said: “I don’t think so. He’s trying to work out a serious problem he has.”

Every time he starts to give something halfway close to a good response to something insane happening in Gaza, he walks it back within days.

[-] Daxtron2@startrek.website 12 points 5 months ago

Probably got a strong finger wagging from Israel.

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[-] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 25 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

which accused the US president of straying from diplomatic norms.

Not "it's not true", just that it's not polite to say.

[-] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 7 points 5 months ago

A US President straying from diplomatic norms? How could that happen? 😱

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 14 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Biden SLAMS Israeli leader that is openly hoping Biden will be displaced by Donald Trump.

Fuxed that for you all. He SLAMMED him. SLAM!

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[-] theywilleatthestars@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

Maybe stop sending him weapons then.

[-] StaySquared@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

This is supposed to be the 2nd and final Nakba, annexing the entire Palestinian territory. With the goal of expanding Israel into Greater Israel. This goal will never end until the elimination and illegalization of Zionism. It doesn't matter what the U.S. politicians say. BDS is the only first step.

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[-] MetalMartin@lemmy.myserv.one 3 points 5 months ago

I'm not an ecologist, but isn't destroying Gaza worse for the environment than rebuilding it?

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this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2024
561 points (97.8% liked)

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