Biden reiterates his decisive support for Israel against the “evil of Hamas”
US President Joe Biden sought to confirm his decisive support for Israel and his readiness to send more military reinforcements to the Middle East region, describing the Hamas movement as “absolute evil” and a “brutal group thirsty for bloodshed,” and condemning the attacks carried out by Hamas fighters. And the killing of a thousand civilians in Israel, including at least 14 Americans. He expressed his concern about the reports, which he described as disgusting, of torture practiced by Hamas fighters against civilians.
He stressed repeatedly that the terrorism carried out by Hamas has no justification and no excuse, stressing that Hamas does not defend the right of the Palestinian people to dignity and self-determination and uses Palestinian civilians as human shields, offering them nothing but bloodshed without any consideration. For the price.
The US President pledged to stand by Israel and ensure that it has what it needs to defend itself and said: “The Department of Defense has transferred the strike group of the aircraft carrier (USS Gerald Ford) to the eastern Mediterranean, and we will transfer additional assets as needed.”
Biden warned any country, organization or person thinking about taking advantage of the situation, and said: “I have one word: do not do that. Hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear.” He revealed that measures had been taken to enhance security around Jewish communities in the United States, and said: “There is no place for hatred in America, not against Jews, not against Muslims, and not against anyone. We reject terrorism and condemn random evil.”
He pointed out that he pledged in his third call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the United States’ response would be rapid, decisive, and overwhelming in accordance with the laws of war, and he announced the start of providing additional military aid to Israel, including ammunition and interceptor missiles, renewing Iron Dome, and ensuring that Israel does not run out of assets.
Biden indicated that his administration is consulting closely with Congress to take urgent action to fund the national security requirements of important partners.
The US President acknowledged the presence of American citizens being held by Hamas, noting that his administration officials exchange intelligence information and consult with their Israeli counterparts to provide advice and enhance hostage recovery efforts. He stressed that he has no higher priority than the safety of Americans around the world.
Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris, had concluded a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss American support for Israel.
Dozens of meetings and communications
Over the weekend, the president and his senior advisers made dozens of calls to dozens of foreign leaders and allies, preparing a response while meeting Israel’s requests for aid.
For his part, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed during the White House press conference following Biden’s speech that the US administration has already begun delivering ammunition and military equipment to Israel and will send additional resources that Israel needs. He said: “Let me be clear, we did not transfer the aircraft carrier to confront Hamas, but rather we are sending it to send a clear message of deterrence to other countries that may seek to expand the scope of this war.”
He added: “The president assigned us to plan for contingencies and all escalation scenarios, and we are deeply involved in this, and we are consulting with allies and partners about all possible scenarios that may unfold in the coming days.”
He pointed out that the US administration does not have documented information about the number of American hostages held by Hamas or their names, and believes that there are 20 or more Americans missing and not necessarily hostages held by Hamas.
Land invasion
The National Security Advisor refused to disclose the content of the discussions between Biden and the Israeli Prime Minister about the possibility of Israel carrying out a ground invasion in the Gaza Strip. He said: “I will not go into the discussions that the president had with the prime minister, and it is important to maintain the secret channel between them.”
Sullivan denied any intention to send American forces to Israel, and stressed that the United States will send to Israel the military capabilities it needs to maintain the Iron Dome and defensive systems, and search for other ways to help it increase its air defense capabilities.
He refused to set a time frame or red lines for the war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip and the extent of Israeli retaliation that the United States would accept.
He said: “This is not about revenge, but rather about providing support to Israel as it seeks to defend its lands and deal with the continuing threat from Hamas terrorists who act like ISIS terrorists in their barbarism and cruelty.” He added: “I cannot set a timetable. We have goals: to destroy Hamas and ensure its inability to launch attacks. I am not standing here to draw red lines.”
Sullivan repeated what US administration officials have repeatedly stated that there is no evidence of Iran’s involvement in helping Hamas carry out this attack, and said: “At this moment when I stand on the podium, we have no evidence and we speak with our Israeli counterparts on a daily basis about this issue.”
Americans are skeptical
Meanwhile, a poll conducted by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicated that Americans have a bleak view of Biden’s performance regarding the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The poll indicated that six out of 10 Americans (61 percent) do not approve of the way Biden dealt with the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and about a third (35 percent) of adults in the United States agreed with that, which is slightly lower than the approval rate. Biden’s 42 percent in the same poll.
Four in 10 Americans (44 percent) said the United States provides the right amount of support to Israel in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to say that the United States should provide more support for Israel.
Four in 10 Americans (42 percent) said the right amount of support is given to the Palestinians. Democrats and independents were more likely than Republicans to say that the Palestinians should receive more support.
These declining numbers confirm that the current crisis and the worsening conflict in the Middle East region will serve as a real test for American voters’ opinion of Biden’s foreign policy in the Middle East.
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2023-10-12 00:12:21
