US President Joe Biden told Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a cease-fire with Hamas as the White House’s frustrations over the continuation of the war in Gaza grow.
The two leaders, whose relationship has been strained by the conflict, spoke Thursday.
While Biden pledged to support Israel against renewed threats from Iran and allied militias such as Hezbollah, he said he was “very direct” with Netanyahu, with the regional fallout from the war, now almost 10 months’ old, worsening.
“We have the basis for a cease-fire,” Biden told reporters. “He should move on it and they should move on it now.”
He said the assassination in Iran this week of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas and a key negotiator for the group, had “not helped.”
Iran and Hamas blamed Israel for the killing. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied it was responsible.
Privately, its officials have not pushed back against the claim.
.Here are the top political news stories for today.
Biden should just stop sending Israel bombs - this will have a stronger effect than the repeated calls for a cease-fire
I think that we American Zionists have to face the fact that the current Israeli government is now MAGA-aligned. Its goal, which it won't speak aloud, is to help Trump be elected. By the way, I think it's telling that France's neo-fascist National Rally party, once virulently antisemitic, is now France's strongest pro-Israel party.
@TreatyKoalaGreen2yrs2Y
Biden needs to cut Netanyahu off and stop treating Israel as the 51 state. They have bit the finger feeding them once too often.
@LobbyEmilyDemocrat2yrs2Y
Netanyahu does not take Biden seriously because he is betting that Biden will soon be replaced by Trump, who will be much more supportive of him. Indeed, embarrassing Biden is part of his strategy to get Trump re-elected. It is deliberate and intentional. Netanyahu very much wants to see Trump in the White House and is not at all reluctant to interfere with our domestic politics. The Republicans, of course, are more than delighted at this.
@BearAbigailRepublican2yrs2Y
Israel is doing exactly what the United States would do if were suddenly attacked by the Native Americans. Think how we saved thousands of American military lives by killing hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians when we dropped nuclear and atomic bombs on them. The world does not realize the value we place on the lives of people (oops white people) or how peaceful we Americans are.
@BoredNominationDemocrat2yrs2Y
Netanyahu doesn’t take Biden seriously for the same reason Trump doesn’t take him seriously. Biden still thinks like a Senator who wants to split every difference. He has no real bottom line. That’s the reason he’s behind in the polls and stands a very fair chance of losing. That’s just the reality.
I don't know where to begin. To stay in power, and out of prison, Netanyahu is willing to burn up every ounce of Israel's goodwill with the rest of the world. No one, except his own countrymen, can stop him – and they seem unwilling. It's morally and politically reprehensible state of affairs, not unlike what I fear with an electoral victory by Trump.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Loading the political themes of users that engaged with this discussion
Loading data...
Join in on more popular conversations.
