Biden Says Israel’s Gaza Bombing Campaign Is ‘Indiscriminate,’ Vows to Keep Supporting It

The president said Israel was losing some global support and that Netanyahu should change his government

President Biden on Tuesday said Israel was losing global support due to its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza, which has been supported by unconditional US military aid, and criticized certain elements of the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Israel’s security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world supporting it,” Biden told donors at a fundraising event.

“But they’re starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place,” he said. Despite labeling the Israeli campaign as “indiscriminate,” he said the US will continue to provide military assistance, which involves supplying 2,000 pound bombs.

“The literal security of Israel as an independent Jewish state is literally at stake.  But it is unshakeable, our commitment to Israel,” Biden said. “We continue to provide military assistance to Israel as it goes after Hamas.”

Biden said Netanyahu justified his slaughter by pointing to US and allied bombings in World War II, as the destruction in Gaza is comparable to the most heavily-bombed German cities. “It was pointed out to me that — by Bibi (Netanyahu) — that ‘Well, you carpet-bombed Germany. You dropped the atom bomb. A lot of civilians died,'” Biden said.

The president said he told Netanyahu: “That’s why all these institutions were set up after World War Two to see to it that it didn’t happen again.” Biden added that Israel should not repeat the same mistakes the US made after 9/11 and said the US should have never fought the war in Afghanistan.

“Don’t make the same mistakes we made at 9/11. There was no reason why we had to be in a war in Afghanistan at 9/11. There was no reason why we had to do some of the things we did,” he said.

Biden called Netanyahu a “good friend” but said he needs to change his government and singled out Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist settler who leads the Jewish Power party and serves as Israel’s minister of national security. The Jewish Power party was the only faction in Netanyahu’s cabinet that voted against the hostage deal with Hamas that involved a pause in Israel’s bombardment.

“You know, Ben-Gvir is not what you would call someone who — this is the most conservative government in Israel’s history — the most conservative,” Biden said. He continued, saying “Ben-Gvir and company” don’t want “anything remotely approaching a two-state solution.”

Despite the criticism of the Netanyahu government, Biden made his strong support for the state of Israel clear. “Many of you heard me say over the years: Were there not an Israel, we’d have to invent one — we’d have to invent one,” he said.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.