The Biden administration is facing criticism for not only being indirectly responsible for the surprise attack Hamas launched against Israel Saturday, which reportedly killed hundreds and injured thousands more, but also for initially calling on Israel not to retaliate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised swift action against Hamas in response to the attack. “The IDF will immediately use all its strength to destroy Hamas’s capabilities,” he said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). “We will destroy them and we will forcefully avenge this dark day that they have forced on the State of Israel and its citizens. As Bialik wrote: ‘Revenge for the blood of a little child has yet been devised by Satan.’”
The Biden administration, however, signaled that it didn’t want Israel to defend itself in a post on X from the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs.
“We unequivocally condemn the attack of Hamas terrorists and the loss of life that has incurred,” the post read. “We urge all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks. Terror and violence solve nothing.”
“Violence solves nothing”: The Biden Admin policy toward Israel is markedly different from its policy toward Ukraine https://t.co/U7M0kOue7U
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 7, 2023
The post sparked significant outrage from Republicans and was quickly deleted. The State Department claims that it “was not approved and does not represent U.S. policy.”
That seems unlikely. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) demanded that “every single person involved in drafting and approving this tweet […] be immediately expelled from the U.S. government.” He’s absolutely correct. Until that happens, I won’t be convinced that the post from the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs didn’t represent Biden administration policy.
Related: Joe Biden Has Blood on His Hands
Biden eventually released a statement more than 12 hours after the attack.
“This morning, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu about the horrific and ongoing attacks in Israel,” Biden said. “The United States unequivocally condemns this appalling assault against Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, and I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel.”
“Terrorism is never justified,” he continued. “Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering.”
I really wish I could believe that. The Obama administration made similar claims about supporting Israel, and we all know how that worked out.
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