The White House has posted the text of President Biden’s remarks in Israel here (“it appears as though it was done by the other team, not — not you”), here (“I want you to know you’re not alone”), and here. Age has diminished President Biden’s mental capacity to the point of embarrassment, but that can’t account for the stupidity of policy promoted in terms like these. This is calculated:
The people of Gaza need food, water, medicine, shelter.
Today, I asked the Israeli cabinet — who I met with for some time this morning — to agree to the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. Based on the understanding that there will be inspections and that the aid should go to civilians, not to Hamas, Israel agreed that humanitarian assistance can begin to move from Egypt to Gaza.
Let me be clear: If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people and it will end. As a practical matter, it will — it will stop the international community from being able to provide this aid.
Also calculated is this patronizing advice: “I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it.” That is offensive.
Biden revisited a golden oldie: “We must keep pursuing a path so that Israel and the Palestinian people can both live safely, in security, in dignity, and in peace. For me, that means a two-state solution.”
Biden had other thoughts for Israelis who have lived with terrorist organizations coming at them from Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, most sponsored and funded by the regime that must not be named, yet Biden felt compelled to patronize his audience with further deep thoughts and additional advice: “The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”
Query: Who represents the Palestinians?
Biden exceeded himself on his return. He must be exhilarated. With Secretary of State Blinken warily eyeing Biden in the background, Biden went back to engage with the press on Air Force One during a refueling stop at Ramstein Air Force Base. The New York Times’s Peter Baker asked Biden why the Arab world is buying the Hamas line about the explosion at the hospital in Gaza City. Hey, Peter, the New York Times might have something to do with it, but that’s not what Biden said: “I’m not suggesting that Hamas deliberately did it. It’s that old thing: Gotta learn how to shoot straight.”
Yes, Mr. Hitler, you need better armaments. Yuk yuk.
Biden didn’t actually seem to have heard that it was an errant Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket. “It’s not the first time that Hamas has launched something that didn’t function very well,” he added.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad — they don’t represent the Palestinians. Neither does Fatah. Etc.