Joe Biden on Saturday assessed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “doing more harm than good to Israel” by waging war in Gaza, and expressed ambiguous comments on the question of the “red line” that the Americans set.
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“He has the right to defend Israel, and he has the right to continue attacking Hamas. But he should pay more attention to the innocent lives lost by the actions taken,” the US president demanded in an interview with the MSNBC channel: “In my opinion, he is doing more harm. Good for Israel.
During this interview Joe Biden was asked about the existence of a “red line” that Israel must not cross in its offensive, and the journalist asked him if a massive Israeli offensive would be one, specifically in Rafah, in the south of Palestine. .
“This is a red line,” says the 81-year-old Democrat, who immediately adds: “I will never abandon Israel. Protecting Israel is of the utmost importance. There is no red line where I want to cut off the arms supply completely” and for Israelis to no longer be protected by the “Iron Dome.” They will not.
US assistance is critical to the operation of this defense system, which allows it to intercept rockets and missiles.
In the process, however, Joe Biden adds: “There are red lines…it's impossible for 30,000 more Palestinians to die.”
The US president is also ruling out the possibility of a new visit to Israel, where he went after the deadly Hamas attack in October, which could include a speech to parliament.
“Do you want to do this?” the journalist asks him. “Yes,” Joe Biden replied, but without saying anything more or indicating whether he had been invited.
The US president no longer hides his frustration with the head of the Israeli government.
On Thursday, after a speech to Congress, microphones picked up an informal conversation in which he announced the need to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza: “He's got to get it into his head.” “I would like to see a cease-fire,” Joe Biden said, noting that he was talking about a six-week cessation of hostilities to begin with.
