Netanyahu must ‘change course’, or lose global support - Biden; UN General Assembly demands ceasefire in Gaza

14 Dec 2023

US President Joe Biden told donors at a fundraiser in Washington that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government risks eroding international support for his nation’s military campaign against Hamas by refusing to endorse a two-state solution for Palestinians. He also labelled elements of Israel’s bombing campaign as ‘indiscriminate’.

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, underscoring a sharp shift in sentiment that’s left Israel and the US increasingly isolated over the military campaign to destroy Hamas.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told voters at a town hall in Iowa that Israel should take priority over Ukraine when it comes to the US supporting nations at war.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said more pauses were “urgently needed” in the Israel-Hamas war to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while also calling for a “sustainable ceasefire”.

Divisions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the conflict in Israel spilt into public view, with the leaders’ competing visions for the post-war Gaza Strip underscoring a deepening split between the allies.

Israel starting to lose support of US and allies, says Biden

Biden told donors at a fundraiser in Washington that Netanyahu’s right-wing government risks eroding international support for his nation’s military campaign against Hamas by refusing to endorse a two-state solution for Palestinians. The US president on Tuesday also labelled elements of Israel’s bombing campaign as “indiscriminate.”

While Israel continues to have the backing of the US and key allies in Europe, “they’re starting to lose that support”, Biden said.

Biden spoke hours after Netanyahu said he has a “disagreement” with the US president about the future of Gaza, rejecting Biden’s proposal for a revitalised Palestinian Authority to take control.

Biden said his administration would continue to protect Israel, but raised concerns about the attitudes of other nations. Israel must be “careful” because “the whole world’s public opinion can shift overnight”, Biden warned on Monday at a White House Hanukkah reception.

On Tuesday at a White House news conference, Biden said he had received assurances a network of Hamas tunnels in Gaza was empty of hostages before Israel’s military started to destroy them with seawater. Biden stressed Israel must “do everything possible” to limit civilian deaths.

Biden also reiterated his appeal to Netanyahu to not repeat the mistakes the US made following the 11 September 2001 terror attacks, as shock over the civilian death toll in Gaza has fuelled growing calls for a ceasefire.

Taken together, Biden’s comments mark some of his strongest criticism of Netanyahu’s government since the Israel-Hamas war began on 7 October. They signal Biden is concerned about Netanyahu’s reticence to heed his advice about the conduct of the war and what comes afterwards.

Biden appeared to recognise that Netanyahu’s position on the Palestinians is in part the result of pressure from right-wing Cabinet members, in particular hardline security minister Itamar Ben Gvir. He called Israel’s Cabinet the most conservative in its history, which does not want “anything having to do with the Palestinians”.

The president said Netanyahu must nonetheless change course, not just for both of their sakes, but also if he would like to keep alive hopes of broader normalisation with the Arab world following the war.

“You cannot say there’s no Palestinian state at all in the future. And that’s going to be the hard part,” Biden said. “In the meantime, we’re not going to do a damn thing other than protect Israel in the process.”

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan would travel to the region this week to meet Israel’s war Cabinet and drive home a message of US support as well as the “need to protect civilian life” in Gaza, Biden said at a news conference later on Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will follow next week, according to the Pentagon, another trip meant to shape Israel’s conduct in the conflict.

Netanyahu’s government “is making it very difficult for the world” to continue backing Israel, Biden said at the Tuesday fundraiser, calling the prime minister a good friend.

UN overwhelmingly demands a Gaza ceasefire

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, underscoring a sharp shift in sentiment that’s left Israel and the US increasingly isolated over the military campaign to destroy Hamas.

The General Assembly adopted the non-binding resolution by a vote of 153 to 10, with 23 nations abstaining. The Czech Republic and Austria were the only two European Union nations that voted against the resolution. The resolution demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and an immediate release of all hostages.

Last week, the US vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have called for a ceasefire to the war, which began after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on 7 October, killed some 1,200 people and took 240 hostage. Israeli forces responded with a punishing military campaign that the Hamas-run Health Ministry says has killed some 18,000 people. The US doesn’t have veto power in the larger General Assembly.

Australia, Canada, New Zealand urge pause in Gaza hostilities

The prime ministers of Australia, Canada and New Zealand have called for a renewed pause in hostilities in Gaza and urgent international efforts to secure a sustainable ceasefire.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, Anthony Albanese, Justin Trudeau and Christopher Luxon said they were deeply concerned by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and ongoing risks to all Palestinian civilians. Safe and unimpeded humanitarian access must be increased and sustained, they said.

“We recognise Israel’s right to exist and right to defend itself. In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law,” the prime ministers said. “We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza. The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians.”

The leaders of Australia, Canada and New Zealand, who are all members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance with the US and UK, said they “unequivocally condemn Hamas’ terror attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, the appalling loss of life, and the heinous acts of violence perpetrated in those attacks, including sexual violence”.

They called for a renewed pause in fighting, noting the first had allowed for the release of more than 100 hostages and supported an increase in humanitarian access to affected civilians.

“We want to see this pause resumed and support urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire,” the leaders said. “This cannot be one-sided. Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields, and lay down its arms.”

DeSantis says US should put aid to Israel before Ukraine

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told voters at a town hall in Iowa that Israel should take priority over Ukraine when it comes to the US supporting nations at war.

“Well, for me that’s an easy answer, it’s the state of Israel,” DeSantis said on Tuesday in response to a question about making a choice between the two countries. He spoke at the CNN event in Des Moines hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky left Washington with no clear commitment that the US would continue support of his country’s battle against Russia’s invasion that began nearly two years ago.

Israel, the governor said, “has the whole world against them”. While acknowledging that Russian aggression posed a threat, he argued that “Ukraine has all of Europe. These European countries need to start pulling their weight.”

Sunak says more humanitarian pauses ‘urgently’ needed in Gaza

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said more pauses were “urgently needed” in the Israel-Hamas war to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while also calling for a “sustainable ceasefire”.

“We’ve been consistent that we support what is a sustainable ceasefire, which means Hamas must stop launching rockets into Israel and release all the hostages,” Sunak told Parliament in London on Wednesday. “We urgently need more humanitarian pauses to get all the hostages out and to get life-saving aid into Gaza to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people.”

Pentagon accelerates F-35 fighter jet maintenance support for Israel

The Pentagon is accelerating maintenance and operations support for Israel’s fleet of F-35s, which are being used to attack Hamas and to stay on alert against other regional threats, Defense Department officials disclosed.

“Notably in Israel, we see surging sustainment support in operations that maximises fleet readiness with 35 of 39 Israeli Air Force F-35A aircraft” exceeding “expectations in combat”, William LaPlante, the under-secretary of defense for acquisition, said on Tuesday in a prepared statement to a House Armed Services subcommittee outlining the $438-billion acquisition programme’s 2023 accomplishments.

The Israeli Air Force declared the F-35 operational in 2017 and was slated to have 50 of the fighter aircraft it named “Adir” or “Mighty One,” in a first instalment. In July, Israel announced it wanted to buy an additional 25, bringing the total to 75. DM

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