President Joe Biden warned Israel not to succumb to anger even as he vowed that the U.S. would stand with Israelis and their demand for justice after they suffered carnage equivalent to fifteen September 11 attacks.
At the end of a day in Tel Aviv where he met Israeli leaders and victims of the Hamas terror attack, he held a speech full of anger.
“We’ve seen it described as Israel’s 9/11,” Biden said. “For a nation the size of Israel, it was like fifteen 9/11s.”
“The magnitude may be different, but I am sure that these horrors helped to sow in Israel a kind of primal feeling, just like in America: shock pain, anger… an all-consuming rage.”
The words were part of the day’s main message: Biden’s commitment to stand with Israel after 1,300 people were murdered by Hamas gunmen.
Joe Biden warned Israel not to succumb to anger even as he promised that the U.S. would stand by the Israelis after they suffered a massacre equivalent to 15 Sept. 11 attacks
Bodies of victims of the Al-Ahli hospital strike are seen lined up in a courtyard on Tuesday
But his trip was overshadowed by a blame game over who was responsible for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza that killed 500 people.
The fallout led to the scrapping of plans for a summit of Arab leaders in Jordan, undermining some of the goals of Biden’s trip.
Instead, he used his speech in Tel Aviv to reiterate U.S. support for a possible Palestinian state and announce $100 million in aid for Gaza and the West Bank.
He also warned Israel not to let anger guide its response.
“You cannot look at what has happened to mothers and fathers, grandparents, sons, daughters, children and even babies here without crying out for justice,” he said.
“Justice must be done.”
“But I warn you: Don’t let it consume you, even if you feel that anger. After 9/11, we in the United States were angry.
“While we sought and received justice, we also made mistakes.”
President Joe Biden is greeted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives on Israeli soil Wednesday morning. He finds himself in the middle of a growing storm
President Joe Biden shakes Dr. Jordanna Hadas Koppel shakes hands during a meeting with Israeli first responders, family members and other citizens directly affected by Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7 in Tel Aviv
The US is bolstering its forces in the Middle East with two aircraft carrier strike groups
His words reflected a delicate balancing act. While he offered full support to Israel as it prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza, U.S. officials know the rising number of civilian casualties would play into the hands of groups like Hamas and its Iranian sponsors that want to foment a larger conflict.
But he promised to fully supply Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
“My government has been in close contact with your leadership from the first moments of this attack.” “We will ensure that you have everything you need to protect your people and your nation,” he said.
‘For decades. “We have secured Israel’s qualitative military edge, and later this week I will be asking the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense.”
It came at a time of great tension in the Middle East.
Israel has been on a war footing since thousands of armed Hamas fighters poured out of the Gaza Strip on October 7, triggering a wave of killings. The country is continually bombarding Gaza and preparing for a likely ground invasion.
Israel has been bombing Gaza continuously since the Hamas attack
Iranian demonstrators show their solidarity with Gaza at an anti-Israel demonstration in Tehran
But protests against Israeli actions have increased as the death toll has risen.
They exploded on Tuesday evening when an explosion rocked Al-Ahli Hospital, killing about 500 people. Protesters in front of the US embassy had to be repelled with tear gas.
Israel insists the explosion was caused by a misfiring Islamic Jihad rocket. Biden said he has seen data that supports Israeli claims of innocence.
At the same time, Iran’s proxy militia Hezbollah continues to fire rockets along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon – a reminder of how regional actors could try to spark a larger war.
Biden’s mission was to stand with Israel while trying to deter outside actors from escalating tensions and easing suffering inside the Gaza Strip.
He said he had discussed with the Israeli cabinet the need to allow aid on the condition that it goes to civilians and not to Hamas.
“Israel agreed that the shift of humanitarian aid from Egypt to Gaza can begin,” he said.
Israel cut off supplies of food, fuel and water to Gaza following the attack as part of what it described as a “siege.”
Egypt is also reluctant to open border crossings to this territory to allow the wounded and those in need of protection to escape