As the United States pushes for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, President Joe Biden shared thoughts about Israel’s leaders that received pushback from other governments. Biden suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be prolonging Israel’s war in Gaza for his own political reasons in an interview published on Tuesday, June 4, in Time Magazine.
When asked by a reporter for the publication whether he thought Netanyahu was drawing out Israel’s war against Hamas for his own political reasons, the president answered, “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”
In response, an Israeli government spokesperson said that Biden’s comments fell “outside the diplomatic norms of every right-thinking country.”
Biden’s words about the prime minister come as Netanyahu receives waning support at home. Opinion polls show most Israelis would vote him out if there was an election right now. Most Israelis surveyed also blame Netanyahu for security failures that led up to the massacre in Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Furthermore, tens of thousands of people took to Israel’s streets to demand the Israeli government do more to bring the remaining hostages held by Hamas home. Some protesters called for Netanyahu to resign.
Biden spoke with the Time reporter on May 28, just days before he pushed a cease-fire proposal between Israel and Hamas. During his interview, President Biden rejected accusations that Israel used starvation as a tactic of war against the Gazan population. However, he did say that he thinks Israel has “engaged in activity that is inappropriate.” When asked by the reporter if he believed Israel committed war crimes, Biden said that he was “uncertain.”
However, in May, Biden said that Israel had not engaged in genocide. Those remarks came in response to International Criminal Court prosecutor’s arrest warrants, including one for Netanyahu, which allege war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
On Tuesday, June 4, the White House acknowledged disagreements between the Israeli prime minister and U.S. president, but still maintained its commitment to defend Israel against Hamas and negotiate a cease-fire deal.
