US President Joe Biden has commented on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has stated that he is not clear about whether Netanyahu may be delaying a peace deal to influence the 2024 US presidential election. Biden mentioned, ”No administration has supported Israel more than I have”. ”None. None. None. And I think Bibi should not forget that. And even if he’s trying to affect the election, I don’t know, but I am not counting on that”.
Biden’s reaction came in reply to a comment made by one of his allies, Senator Chris Murphy. During an interview with CNN, Murphy expressed concern that US politics could influence Netanyahu’s lack of interest in a peace deal. The background of these comments is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as Israel continues with its military actions.
Israel’s advancement in Lebanon
Israel has escalated its military actions and has launched a ground strike into Lebanon against Hezbollah which led to the killings of eight Israel soldiers. Meanwhile, Israel has also conducted air strikes in Gaza and has killed more than dozens which includes children. Moreover, Israel has also pledged to strike back in response to the ballistic missile attack by Iran this week. These reactions have added tensions to the already volatile situation.
Biden has said that no final decision has been taken on what will be the US response to Iran’s actions. ”I am presuming that when they will decide on how they will be going to respond, we will then hold a discussion,” Biden further stated. The US President has cleared that US further involvement in the matter will be based on Israel’s next step.
(With inputs from AP)