US President Joe Biden has said he does not know whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dragging his feet on a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip in order to influence the US election in November.
On Friday, days shy of the one-year anniversary of the conflict in the Gaza Strip that has killed at least 41,802 Palestinians, Biden was asked directly at a White House press conference.
“No administration has supported Israel as much as I have. None. None. None. And I think Bibi should remember that,” Biden said, referring to the Israeli leader by his nickname.
“And I don’t know if he’s trying to influence the election, but I’m not counting on that.”
For months, the Biden administration has downplayed the prospect that Israel might be deliberately withholding such an agreement, instead regularly placing the blame for the collapse of talks on Hamas. They did so despite repeated reports indicating that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position changed throughout the talks, preventing any breakthrough.
Still, some Democratic leaders are increasingly questioning whether Netanyahu has the U.S. presidential election and former President Donald Trump’s possible victory in mind in his military calculations.
Trump has long been Prime Minister Netanyahu’s preferred person to sit in the White House. During the campaign, Republicans attacked Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing the Biden administration of failing to reach a deal.
“I don’t think you have to be a hopeless cynic to read some of Israel’s actions and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions in relation to the American election,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a close Biden ally. the lawmaker told CNN earlier this week. .
U.S. officials also told the Wall Street Journal in September that they did not expect a deal to be reached during President Biden’s term, which ends in January 2025.
Continuation of military assistance
Biden initially said Israel supported the ceasefire plan he introduced in May, even though Netanyahu appeared to quickly refute that claim.
In September, the Israeli prime minister pushed back on claims by Biden administration officials that the deal was 90% complete. Later that month, shortly after meeting with U.S. officials seeking to de-escalate tensions, Israel ramped up its attacks on Lebanon.
Since then, Netanyahu’s government has ignored calls from U.S. officials for a pause in fighting as it ramps up operations in Lebanon, including a limited ground invasion.
Biden also opposes Israel attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, following the attack on Iran earlier this week.
On Friday, he opposed any attack on Iranian oil facilities, saying, “If I were in their shoes, I would consider alternatives to attacking Iranian oil fields.”
For months, the Biden administration has avoided leveraging military aid to its “ironclad” ally, even as Israel continues to tout its appeal to the public in Washington.
Transfer of power may not be “peaceful”
Biden also warned in a press conference Friday that Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, may refuse to accept the results of the Nov. 5 election.
Trump had been promoting false claims that the 2020 vote was marred by election fraud. The rhetoric culminated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Biden’s supporters on January 6, 2021, in an effort to overturn Biden’s victory.
President Trump continues to cast baseless doubts about whether the upcoming election will be fair.
Biden said it was notable that President Trump’s running mate, Vance, did not confirm during this week’s vice presidential debate whether he would accept the results of next month’s vote.
“I’m confident it will be free and fair. I don’t know if it will be peaceful. President Trump’s statements, and his previous statements that he didn’t like the results of the election, were very dangerous,” Biden said. he said.
