President Biden is facing some criticism for answers he gave concerning Israel in an interview he gave Time Magazine on May 28th which was published today.
The criticism is not without justification. The main headline from the article is that people have every reason to conclude that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the war for political gain. Yet when President Biden was asked at a press conference today if Bibi was playing politics with the war he replied, "I don't think so. He's trying to work out a serious problem he has."
When I look at the transcript of the interview which was conducted by Time's Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs and Washington Bureau Chief Massimo Calabresi, I see a lot of loaded questions where it concerns Israel.
What steps are you prepared to take against Israel now that Netanyahu appears to have crossed your red line in Rafah, Mr. President?
What do they mean by "appears"? What evidence do they cite that President Biden's red line had been crossed. Fortunately, President Biden didn't take the bait nor did he do so when pressed if Bibi had crossed the red line.
More broadly, from the intelligence in the evidence you've seen, either currently or in the last months, have Israeli forces committed war crimes in Gaza?
Unfortunately, President Biden began by tossing a word salad replying, "The answer is it's uncertain and has been investigated by the Israelis themselves." However, the President did pivot to Hamas' crimes stating, "Hamas is intimidating the population...Tying mothers and daughters together with rope and pouring kersoene on it and burning them to death."
And whose fault is it that the—that deal, the ceasefire for hostages—has not been consummated? Is it Hamas or Israel or both?
Here Time Magazine is engaging in moral equivalence. President Biden firmly states, "Hamas could end this tomorrow."
You mentioned the hunger in Gaza. Some have alleged that Israel is intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. Do you think that's the case?
Again, what evidence does Time have to support this premise? While Biden denied Israel was doing this, he did make a point of saying Israel is "engaged in activity that is inappropriate." President Biden ought to have dismissed the question out of hand.
Some in Israel have suggested that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation. Do you believe that?
Unfortunately, another world salad from President Biden who said, "I'm not going to comment on that. There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion." His first sentence was fine. He should have stopped there. Instead, Biden commented on that after saying had no comment. Now everyone is commenting.
Trump has said that Netanyahu is rightfully criticized for Oct. 7. Do you believe that he bears some responsibility for the fact that Oct. 7th happened?
That Time Magazine suddenly cites defeated, former President Trump as an authority strains credulity and credibility. Although there is no doubt Israel will hold a military inquiry once the conflict is over and Bibi's role will have to be examined, there would be no October 7th without Hamas.
Do you have agreement from all the other parties to this multi-part package of deals that would deliver that in Israel, in the region, other than Bibi? Is Bibi the only thing standing in the way of that?
This question is predicated on the premise that the Gulf Arab states, Fatah and Hamas have been eagerly awaiting Israel to sign a peace agreement while ignoring the fact that Israel was intended as a two-state solution, but the Arab countries said no in 1947 and went to war with Israel. In President Biden's case, he was careful not to answer but again by not denying the premise of the question it reinforces the mixed messages he gives where it concerns Israel.
The questions posed by Jacobs and Calabresi regarding Israel were done in bad faith, but President Biden supplied his political opponents with ammunition, caused more anxiety uncertainty with Israel while Hamas went mostly unscathed.
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