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    Tensions Flare as Biden’s Comment on Netanyahu Sparks Outrage

    World News 5 Mins Read

    President Joe Biden’s terse response, a simple “no,” when asked if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, ignited a wave of backlash. The stark remark was delivered on Monday as Biden entered the Situation Room, where he and Vice President Kamala Harris met with a negotiating team working on a potential hostage deal. This meeting came in the wake of a harrowing weekend during which six hostages, including 23-year-old Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were brutally murdered by Hamas.

    Netanyahu pushed back strongly against the notion that his government bore responsibility for the tragic deaths of the hostages. He stated, “We didn’t manage to extricate them. We were very close. It’s terrible. But it didn’t happen because of that decision.” The Prime Minister emphasized that the decision to keep Israeli Defense Forces along the Philadelphi Corridor—an area critical for blocking arms smuggling into Gaza—was a “strategic imperative.”

    Netanyahu elaborated that the hostages’ fate rested largely on Hamas’s unwillingness to negotiate. “It happened, first, because they [Hamas] don’t want a deal,” he noted, while expressing his commitment to exploring every possible avenue to bring the captives home.

    The American media was quick to seize on Biden’s sharp critique of Netanyahu, particularly given the context. When asked by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy why Biden appeared more critical of Netanyahu than of Hamas’s leadership, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended the President’s stance. “The president has been very, very clear about Hamas leaders and what they have done,” she explained. “He was asked a question, he answered it directly, but Hamas is responsible. They have more American blood on their hands. The president was clear about that in his statement.”

    The fallout from these events has been profound, with thousands gathering in Ra’anana to mourn Almog Sarusi, a 26-year-old technician abducted from the Nova Music Festival by Hamas and subsequently killed. This gathering reflected the deepening anger and grief sweeping through Israeli society, where demands for a more assertive strategy to secure the release of hostages have grown louder.

    Caroline Glick, a former adviser to Netanyahu, voiced sharp criticism of the Biden administration, accusing it of exerting undue pressure on Israel. “From the outset of the war, U.S. pressure has been exerted on Israel alone,” she told Fox News Digital. Glick argued that the U.S. stance has effectively prolonged the conflict by restricting Israel’s ability to take decisive action against Hamas in Gaza. “The U.S. pressure for a hostage deal is not directed against Hamas, which is holding the hostages, and as we saw over the weekend, executing them in cold blood,” Glick said. “It is directed solely against Israel.”

    Meanwhile, significant domestic pressure is also mounting within Israel. On Sunday, a large protest in Tel Aviv saw tens of thousands demanding a deal with Hamas to secure the hostages’ release. Although some media outlets claimed the protest numbered 300,000, police estimates put the figure closer to 80,000. On Monday, the Israeli labor union Histadrut called for a general strike to push Netanyahu toward a more conciliatory approach with Hamas.

    Despite these pressures, there remains a strong faction within Israel’s government that resists making what they perceive as a dangerous compromise. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that while Netanyahu had previously accepted a cease-fire and hostage deal, Hamas had been the one to break the agreement. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman criticized Biden’s approach, suggesting that the American President should focus his criticism on Hamas and its supporters, rather than Israel’s democratically elected leader.

    Aviva Siegel, who was once held captive by Hamas, also shared her frustrations with the current situation. Siegel, whose husband Keith is still a hostage, emphasized the dire conditions and the urgent need for action. “The Israeli government is not doing enough. They are not bringing them home,” she lamented. Her poignant words reflect a broader sentiment among many Israelis who feel that their government’s strategy has been insufficient.

    Joel Rubin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state, offered a different perspective, suggesting that Biden’s push for a hostage deal is rooted in a belief that such an agreement could be managed without compromising Israel’s security. “When President Biden says that a deal for a hostage release is on the table and that Prime Minister Netanyahu should go for it, we should be confident that he believes that the risks posed by such a deal would be manageable,” Rubin said.

    Major Points

    • President Biden’s brief response criticizing Netanyahu’s efforts to secure hostages from Hamas stirred controversy and criticism.
    • Netanyahu defended his administration’s actions, emphasizing strategic imperatives and Hamas’s refusal to negotiate.
    • The Biden administration faced backlash from both Israeli officials and former U.S. diplomats for its approach to the conflict.
    • Large protests in Israel demanded more decisive action to secure hostages, highlighting internal pressure on Netanyahu’s government.
    • The situation remains tense, with calls for a balanced approach between military strategy and diplomatic negotiations.

    Susan Guglielmo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News

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