President Biden said Thursday that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were headed for a “come to Jesus meeting” on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to an audio clip of the president’s remarks posted on social media Friday.
Mr Biden’s comment underscores rising tensions between him and Mr Netanyahu in recent weeks, as the civilian death toll in Gaza has risen inexorably and Mr Biden has come under political pressure at home and abroad to do more to force Israel to agree to a ceasefire.
In recent days, Mr. Biden had expressed hope that a ceasefire agreement of at least six weeks would be in place by Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that begins in a few days. But Israel and Hamas have reached an impasse in negotiations over the return of vulnerable hostages taken in the October 7 attack on Israel in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Asked by reporters on Friday whether a deal could be reached by Ramadan, Mr Biden said: “It looks difficult.”
The president’s earlier “come to Jesus” comments were caught on a hot microphone during a private conversation with Sen. Michael Bennett, D-Colorado, after the State of the Union address.
According to a recording of the conversation, Mr. Bennet encouraged the president to “keep pushing” on the issue of humanitarian aid to Gaza as Israel wages its war against Hamas, a war for which the United States has provided funding and arms.
“I told him, ‘Bibi’ – don’t repeat that – I said, ‘You and I are going to have a meeting with Jesus,'” Mr Biden said, referring to the prime minister by his nickname.
Mr. Biden was told by an aide that his microphone was still on and that the conversation was being recorded. “Am I on a hot mic here?” Mr. Biden said. “Good. That’s good.”
Mr Biden had just used his speech to Congress to call on Israel to limit civilian casualties and allow more food, medicine and other aid into the besieged enclave. Gaza health authorities say 30,000 have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza, most of them civilians. Millions of residents have been displaced and hundreds of thousands more face starvation.
“Israel also has a fundamental responsibility, however, to protect innocent civilians in Gaza,” Mr. Biden said in his speech. “This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined.”
Mr. Biden strongly supported Israel’s right to invade Gaza after Hamas militants crossed the border on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1,200 Israelis, according to Israeli authorities, in border towns while committing atrocities and taking hostages.
The United States has continued to supply Israel with weapons and block UN resolutions calling for a cease-fire, supporting Mr. Netanyahu’s position that a permanent cease-fire would be a victory for Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist organization. club.
But the civilian toll from Israel’s bombing campaign, combined with rising levels of hunger and disease in Gaza, have sparked international outrage and increased calls for the United States to use its influence in Israel to achieve a halt to the fire. Domestically, Mr. Biden has faced a revolt on the issue from left-leaning Democrats and Arab-Americans who have been important to his winning coalition in 2020, particularly in the battleground state of Michigan.
Mr. Biden’s speech on Thursday appeared aimed in part at repairing those barriers. He also announced that the US military would build a floating jetty off the coast of Gaza.
“To the leadership of Israel, I say this: humanitarian aid cannot be a secondary issue or a bargaining chip,” Mr. Biden said in his speech. “Protecting and saving innocent lives must be a priority.”
Mr Biden slyly acknowledged his comment to Senator Bennet when asked about it before boarding Air Force One on Friday. “I didn’t say that in the speech,” he said. But when asked about the comments after the speech, Mr Biden told reporters: “You’re eavesdropping on things.”
