On Wednesday, President Joe Biden made a highly anticipated trip to Israel. The result was Biden vocalizing support for Israel, getting finite humanitarian aid to Gaza from Egypt and requesting for Israelis to not be overcome by their deadly agenda against Hamas.
“I understand. Many Americans understand,” Biden said before leaving Tel Aviv, “You can’t look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice.” He also compared the Oct. 7 Hamas attack to what happened to America on Sept. 11, 2001.
“But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he continued. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes.”
In addition, the president said there is a vital distinction between Palestinian people and Hamas rulers. Biden also lamented over the loss of “innocent” people who were killed in Gaza after days of Israeli violence.
On Monday, an explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds according to Palestinian officials. In a shocking move, Biden repeated Israeli statements that the explosion was caused by a misfiring Islamic Jihad rocket launched toward Israel.
Biden also said that this determination was supported by US intelligence on the incident. “As they probably told you, I was very blunt with the Israelis,” Biden stated on Air Force One to reporters as he returned to the U.S. “Israel has been badly victimized, but the truth is if they have an opportunity to relieve the suffering of people who have nowhere to go, that’s what they should do.”
“If they don’t,” he continued, “they’ll be held accountable in ways that may be unfair.” The Biden administration will request Congress for more than $2 billion in combined aid for Israel and Ukraine.
Biden also said $100 million in aid will be provided to Gaza and the West Bank. “The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” Biden said. “Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”