White House national security adviser John Kirby was left to defend President Joe Biden’s latest comments where the president warned Israel was losing global support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza.
Biden criticized Israeli’s war cabinet, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change his government after warning about the “indiscriminate bombing,” during a Tuesday campaign reception. Kirby was left to defend the president’s remarks during a Thursday press briefing after being asked if the administration agrees that “indiscriminate” attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
“If attacks, obviously, are not done with due concern to civilians, obviously that is a deep concern,” Kirby said.
“But you have stressed that the president speaks for American foreign policy. He has said that Israel is engaged in ‘indiscriminate bombing’ in Gaza. So then wouldn’t it stand to reason that this is a violation?” ABC News White House Correspondent Mary Bruce followed up.
“I’ve answered that question, I don’t know how many times yesterday,” Kirby continued. “I have nothing more to add on that. The president was referring to concerns that he has and that we have, that we know the intent is there by the Israelis to limit civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, but sometimes the results don’t always come out that way. That’s what he was referring to.”
The president’s unusually harsh words on Israel’s attacks are a stark contrast to the particularly strong backing the Biden administration has shown towards the country. Immediately following Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel, Biden and his administration had pledged their support to the country during its war.
The Biden administration’s pro-Israel staff has come under fire by its own staffers as well as allies of the president. White House interns penned a letter to the president and Vice President Kamala Harris in early December, urging the officials to call for a ceasefire. A coalition of State Department staffers voiced their frustration with the officials pro-Israel stance, urging the administration to publicly air its criticism of how the Israeli government treats Palestinian civilians. (RELATED: Former Kamala Aides Revolt Against Her For Being Too Pro-Israel)
Amid the backlash, Harris is reportedly encouraging Biden to show more public empathy towards Gaza and the Palestinians, according to Politico. The White House scoffed at the report, saying there is no “daylight” between the president and the vice president and that there never has been.
“But you keep stressing their intent. That it’s Israel’s intent to minimize civilian casualties, but that intention isn’t what we are seeing on the ground right now by the president’s own admission. They are bombing indiscriminately. So are you saying that their intent is somehow more important than the result?” Bruce asked Kirby.
“Both are important,” Kirby responded. “The most important thing is the result and the outcomes but it has to be driven by a sincere intent to limit civilian casualties, so both are important. Look I don’t want, I don’t think it’s useful to revisit the whole discussion from yesterday because you are not going to get a different answer out of me.”
“We don’t want to see a single more innocent civilian killed or wounded,” Kirby continued. “One is too many. We’ve said that over and over again and we’re working hard with the Israelis, and Jake [Sullivan] is doing that right now to get a better sense of what they can do, as I said in my opening statement to be more surgical, to be more discriminate in their targeting. That is important. At the same time it is important they have the tools and capabilities they need to go after a truly genocidal threat represented by [sic] Hamas terrorists.”