Joe Biden with Benjamin Netanyahu
US President Joe Biden cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza could cost Israel global support for its war against Hamas.
In his most direct words, since Hamas’s October 7 strike on Israel sparked the current conflict, Biden told fundraisers that Netanyahu needed to change his stance on a two-state solution for the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu said there was disagreement with Biden about how a post-conflict Gaza would be governed, revealing a rare schism after weeks of the US president openly supporting Israel.
After the Hamas strikes, which Israel claims killed 1,200 people, Biden told a campaign gathering in Washington that Israel has the majority of the world’s support.
Biden went on to say, “But they’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place”.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 18,400 individuals, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s bombardment since October 7.
In addition, the US president rejected claims made by Netanyahu that coalition forces had carpet-bombed Germany and used nuclear weapons against Japan during World War II.
Reiterating that the United States had committed mistakes following the September 11, 2001 attacks, Biden claimed to have informed Netanyahu that international institutions had been established following the war to see to it that it didn’t happen again.
Then, according to Biden, Netanyahu had a tough decision to make about his hard-right government.
The US president went on to say, “He’s a good friend, but I think he has to change and, with this government, this government in Israel is making it very difficult for him to move”.
“They don’t want a two-state solution”, the US president continued, describing it as the most conservative government in Israel’s history.
His remarks reflect a growing schism over what happens after the war, with US requests for Gaza to be handed over to a stronger Palestinian Authority being met with skepticism in Israel.
The West Bank is currently under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, while the Gaza Strip is under the control of the Islamist Hamas.
Following a talk with Biden on Tuesday, Netanyahu stated that the allies disagreed about the day after Hamas.
The Israeli premier expressed hope that we will reach an agreement here but vowed not to repeat the mistake of Oslo, alluding to the 1993 peace treaties inked in Washington.
For weeks, Washington has urged Israel to take greater precautions to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, claiming that far too many Palestinians have been killed.
During a ceremony marking the Jewish holiday of Hannukah at the White House on Monday, Biden issued a similar warning about global support.
“We have to be careful. They have to be careful. The whole world’s public opinion can shift overnight, we can’t let that happen”, Biden added.
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