The New York Times: Dispute over Gaza war heats up between Biden and Netanyahu
A day after President Joe Biden asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” Netanyahu dismissed that contention as “wrong,” escalating the leaders’ increasingly public dispute.
Netanyahu, in an interview with Politico that was to be aired Sunday night, challenged Biden’s assessment of Israel’s military strategy in the Gaza Strip, saying that his policies represented the “overwhelming majority” of Israelis.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I don’t know exactly what the president meant, but if he meant by that that I’m pursuing private policies against the majority, the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he’s wrong on both counts,” Netanyahu told Politico. An excerpt from the interview was released by the prime minister’s office.
The Israeli leader was responding to comments Biden made Saturday in an interview with MSNBC that was also to be aired Sunday night. Biden rebuked Netanyahu over the rising civilian death toll in Gaza, even as he reaffirmed U.S. support for Israel.
“He has a right to defend Israel, a right to continue to pursue Hamas, but he must, he must, he must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken,” Biden said.
“In my view, he’s hurting Israel more than helping Israel,” Biden said, appearing to refer to Netanyahu’s military strategy. “It’s contrary to what Israel stands for, and I think it’s a big mistake. So I want to see a cease-fire.”
The sparring comes amid a mounting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the United Nations and aid agencies warning of looming famine in the besieged enclave of 2.2 million. Health officials in Gaza reported that at least 25 people, most of them children, had died from malnutrition and dehydration in recent days.
On Sunday, the U.S. military said an Army vessel, the General Frank S. Besson, had set sail a day earlier from a base near Norfolk, Virginia, and was carrying equipment to build a floating pier off Gaza’s coast to allow for aid deliveries.
But the Pentagon has said the project could take weeks to complete.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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