Biden walks back claim Netanyahu prolonging war for political reasons

Politics

By Steven Nelson

WASHINGTON — President Biden hinted in a new interview Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be prolonging the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip for political reasons — before quickly walking back the remark.

Biden, 81, was asked by Time magazine whether “Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation.”

“I’m not going to comment on that,” Biden answered before immediately adding: “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”

The commander in chief contradicted himself when a reporter raised the issue Tuesday afternoon following a speech on US-Mexico border policy.

“Is Prime Minister Netanyahu playing politics with the war?” the journalist asked in the White House East Room.

“I don’t think so,” the president replied. “He’s trying to work out a serious problem he has.”

Polling shows the Middle East war has driven a wedge between Biden and important Democratic constituencies — including younger voters, Arab Americans and Muslims — ahead of his Nov. 5 rematch against former President Donald Trump.

The president has frequently been heckled as “Genocide Joe” and Democratic pundits have speculated that Netanyahu’s policies in Gaza may reflect a preference for Trump.

During his four-year term, Trump moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to disputed Jerusalem, recognized Israeli ownership of the Golan Heights and presided over the brokering of diplomatic relations between Israel and five Muslim countries.

Biden has continued some Trump-era diplomatic efforts, and in 2022 took Air Force One directly from Israel to Saudi Arabia to mark the opening of direct flights between the countries. He has suggested Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel was intended to derail looming Saudi-Israeli normalization.

Although Biden suggested that Netanyahu was to blame for extending the war, the US administration has repeatedly warned the Israeli leader not to go after Hamas in Rafah due to fear of civilian casualties.

Last month, Biden halted a shipment of 2,000-pound and 500-pound bombs as a warning to Netanyahu not to proceed.

The president on Friday announced a proposed cease-fire, which Biden described as an Israeli offer made with US support, which would permanently put the conflict on ice without a final battle in Hamas’ final stronghold of Rafah along the Egyptian border.

Biden argued Friday that the terrorist group was so weakened that it could no longer threaten the Jewish state with an attack like that on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas killed an estimated 1,200 people — including 33 Americans.