United States President, Joe Biden has said that Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu may be prolonging the Gaza conflict for political reasons, stating there is “every reason” to believe this is the case.
The comments came in an interview with Time magazine, leading to a sharp rebuttal from the Israeli government, which accused Biden of breaching diplomatic norms.
Netanyahu’s approval ratings have plummeted since the Hamas attack on October 7, which highlighted significant security lapses.
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Political analysts widely agree that Netanyahu would likely lose an election held now and face court proceedings on corruption charges. Elections have been delayed until the war ends or major military operations are deemed complete.
When Time asked Biden if Netanyahu was extending the war for political survival, Biden replied: “I’m not going to comment on that,” but noted, “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”
He also discussed the political challenges Netanyahu faced before the war.
The U.S national security council spokesperson, John Kirby said Biden’s remarks reflected what many critics have claimed and left further comments to Netanyahu.