The White House on Tuesday attempted to walk back comments made by President Joe Biden over the weekend saying that an Israeli offensive of Rafah would be a “red line” for him.
In a Saturday interview on MSNBC, Biden said that an Israeli invasion of Rafah would be a red line but also said in the same breath that crossing it would not result in punitive measures against Israel.
“It is a red line, but I am never going to leave Israel,” Biden said. “The defense of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line I’m going to cut off all weapons.”
Speaking at a news briefing on Tuesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, “The President didn't make any declarations or pronouncements or announcements. The red line came up in a question he was responding to that question. I think he gave a full answer to it.”
Pressed on the issue by CNN’s MJ Lee, Sullivan appeared to blame the media for turning the idea of a red line into a “national security parlor game for the President.”
“He's really focused on the substance, on the policy on his concern about the protection of civilians, and about Israel being able to sustain a campaign in a way that ultimately leads to an outcome in which the people of Israel are secure. Hamas is crushed and there is a long-term solution to stability and peace in the region,” said Sullivan.
Netanyahu responded to Biden on Sunday, telling Politico, "I don't know exactly what the President meant, but if he meant by that that I'm pursuing private policies against the majority, the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he's wrong on both counts."
2 comments:
Flash back... In March 2018, "Nobel Peace Prize" Barack Obama was explaining to everybody that IF syrian president El Assad would dare use chemical weapons against his own civilian population or against an enemy, that woud mean "crossing a red line" and the US military and/or the allies will then take action.
Well, El Assad did use loads of chemical weapons against civilians. Half a million Syrians died in the process (and 2 millions fled this hell), but no news of the US military and/or the allies in that region ever since then.
You don't have to like Bibi, you may want him out of office, but to accuse him of wanting harm for Israel when he's spent his entire career being one of its strongest defenders is ridiculous.
And as for red lines, remember that Assad using gas on his own people in Syria was a red line for Obama. And then what happened? So no need to worry.
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