A former aide to President Obama has lashed out at President Biden, saying his response to Israel’s killing of aid workers in April makes him “look weak.” Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau posted a critical note on Twitter in response to an article claiming Biden was “privately enraged” by the recent killing of seven aid workers by an Israeli bomb, but would not alter US policy toward the Jewish state.
The Politico article noted Biden’s anger at Israel’s actions and the growing death toll in the Middle East conflict, but calling for an investigation and accountability was “as far as the White House is willing to go.”
An unnamed federal government source said the President is reluctant to encourage policy change in Israel, even as pro-Palestinian campaigners call for conditions on future US aid. The Biden administration, however, believes this would cause irreparable harm to US-Israeli relations, ending any American influence over Israel’s policy direction.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed in a recent press event that the US still backs Israel’s aim to wipe out Hamas and remains committed to the Jewish state’s right to self-defense.
Nevertheless, in a phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Biden reportedly threatened to impose conditions on future aid if the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) does not take more care to keep civilians and aid workers safe. It is the first time the President has made such remarks, and he told Netanyahu he expects Israel to take “measurable steps to address civilian harm.”
Analysts say Biden is under intense pressure, particularly from the progressive faction of the Democratic party, which believes that either the President has little influence over Netanyahu or is unwilling to use it.
The Gaza Health Ministry claims that more than 30,000 civilians have died in the conflict that began last October when Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state. Israel insists that Hamas deliberately places civilians in harm’s way as a propaganda tool.
