President Joe Biden criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct in the Israel-Hamas battle but did not affect U.S. policy toward its Middle East partner.
"I think what he’s doing is a mistake," Biden told Univision on Tuesday night in answer to a question about whether Netanyahu prioritizes political survival over Israeli national interest.
The remarks show Biden's growing willingness to publicly criticize Netanyahu amid progressive condemnation of Israel's Gaza conflict. Last month, Biden welcomed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's speech criticizing Netanyahu and calling for new Israeli elections. New York Senator Chuck Schumer said Netanyahu let “his political survival to take precedence over the best interests of Israel.”
More than three dozen Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, signed a letter last week urging Biden to suspend arms deliveries if "Israel fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers."
In the Univision interview, Biden urged Israelis "to just call for a cease-fire, allow for the next six, eight weeks total access to all food and medicine going into the country."
After Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Biden repeatedly called his support for Israel "ironclad." Anti-war and pro-Palestinian demonstrators have interrupted his rallies, and a campaign has called for Democratic primaries supporters to vote for "uncommitted" instead of him.
Vice President Kamala Harris updated hostage families on the White House's hostage-return efforts on Tuesday. Jonathan Dekel-Chen, father of American hostage Sagui, told reporters following the meeting that there is "a deal on the table right now that all of the parties agree to and are willing to work with."
The U.S. opposes Israel's Rafah attack, which Netanyahu has announced. The White House said "a major ground operation in Rafah would be a mistake," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in March.
According to the White House, Biden told Netanyahu last month that he had "deep concerns" about an Israeli offensive in Rafah.
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