The Australian/AFP/16.3.2024
Again the irony of berating Netanyahu and his government whilst supplying the guns, bombs and ammunition to continue the war – only the ignorant Americans and Brits could do this!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mark
US President Joe Biden praised a speech by the US Senate leader urging new elections in Israel, saying many Americans shared concerns about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war.
The call by Democratic Senate majority chief Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking elected Jewish American in history, was the most strident rebuke of Israel yet by a senior US official since Hamas’s October 7 attacks.
“He made a good speech, and I think he expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans,” Biden said on Friday when asked about the speech after a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House.
Biden told reporters in the Oval Office that Schumer had contacted his staff to say he was going to make the comments, and added that he was “not going to elaborate on the speech”. The US president also crossed his fingers for luck, but did not comment, when asked by reporters what he thought of Hamas’s new proposal of a six-week truce in Gaza.
The Schumer speech came amid mounting pressure from Biden on Netanyahu to reduce the number of Palestinians being killed in Gaza, and to let more aid in as famine looms in the territory.
Biden also faces growing political pressure at home, with fears voters could punish the Democrats in the US presidential election in November over his support for Israel.
“As a democracy, Israel has the right to choose its own leaders, and we should let the chips fall where they may. But the important thing is that Israelis are given a choice,” said Schumer.
“There needs to be a fresh debate about the future of Israel after October 7.”
Schumer also said Netanyahu was one of four “major obstacles” to peace alongside Hamas,
‘Cautiously optimistic’
Biden has strongly supported Israel’s right to defend itself since the October 7 Hamas attacks, but there have been signs of a growing rift with Netanyahu over his approach.
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