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White House nationwide safety communications adviser John Kirby disregarded questioning Sunday concerning whether or not President Biden believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is an “impediment to peace,” saying the 2 world leaders have “known each other a long time” and have an open line of communication.
“Does the president think that Benjamin Netanyahu is a bigot? That he’s an impediment to peace? That he should be lumped in with Hamas?” Fox News’ Shannon Bream requested Kirby on “Fox News Sunday.“
Kirby didn’t explicitly reply, as a substitute highlighting that the 2 world leaders have long identified each other and that the U.S. respects Israel’s sovereignty.
“These are two men, leaders that have known each other a long time, Shannon, and they don’t agree on everything – haven’t over 40 years. And there are certain aspects to the prosecution of operations in Gaza, where we obviously don’t agree with everything that Israel has done. But they have a relationship where they can talk to one another, and they do, and they will again. He is the prime minister of Israel. We respect the sovereignty of the Israeli people,” he responded.
John Kirby speaks with Fox News’ Shannon Bream. (Fox News)
The query comes after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who’s Jewish, delivered a speech final week calling for Netanyahu’s ouster and labeling him an “obstacle to peace” as struggle rages in Israel and Gaza since October.
Along with Netanyahu, Schumer added that “Hamas and the Palestinians who support and tolerate their evil ways; the radical right-wing Israelis in government and society; [and] Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas” are the other obstacles stopping peace.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer final week delivered a speech calling for the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Biden later described Schumer’s remarks as a “good speech.”
“He made a good speech, and I think he expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans,” Biden stated Friday.
Bream pressed Kirby on whether or not Biden agrees with Schumer that there must be an election in Israel and that Netanyahu ought to now not function prime minister.
President Biden stated Senate Majority Leader Schumer “expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans.” (Saul Loeb/AFP by way of Getty Images)
“The president believes it’s up to the Israeli people and the Israeli government to determine if and when there’s going to be new elections. But he does, as he said shortly after Leader Schumer’s very passionate speech, he recognizes that the leader was speaking for a lot of Americans who feel the same way about the way the war is going. We also have concerns about some of the operations and how they’re being conducted. We need to make sure that civilians are protected and secure, that civilian casualties come down, that more trucks and assistance get in and, of course, we’re still working on that temporary cease-fire to get all those hostages out,” Kirby responded.
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Kirby’s remarks comply with one other interview final week on MSNBC, the place host Andrea Mitchell repeatedly requested the White House official if Biden believes Netanyahu is an “obstacle to peace.” Kirby dodged the query thrice, which Mitchell identified on air earlier than transferring on with the interview.
John Kirby throughout a information convention within the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on the White House on Jan. 29, 2024. (Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg by way of Getty Images)
“The president knows that the Israeli people get to determine who their elected government representatives are. That’s what democracy is all about, and he respects that,” Kirby responded after one in every of Mitchell’s questions concerning if Netanyahu is an “obstacle to peace.” “And he has been nothing but candid and forthright with the prime minister about ways in which we think things can be done differently, things can be done better, things can be done a little bit more stridently to get more assistance into the people of Gaza to and to reduce the number of civilian casualties. I mean, my goodness, these are two guys that have no problem being honest with one another, and I can assure you that the president has done that.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks throughout a press convention in Tel Aviv on Oct. 28. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo by way of AP)
“Let me just say that answer – that question was not answered three times. That’s all right. That was your answer,” Mitchell in the end stated.
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Netanyahu responded to Schumer’s speech this weekend, calling it “inappropriate” and detailing that a potential election is as much as Israel and its voters.
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“I think what he said is totally inappropriate. It’s inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there,” Netanyahu stated in a CNN interview.
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