WHITE HOUSE HOLDS RECEPTION FOR JEWISH HANUKKAH FESTIVAL – President Biden alludes to disagreements with Israel’s Netanyahu
U.S. President Joe Biden alluded to the complex relationship he has with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting the prime minister is in a “tough spot” and that the two have had their share of disagreements over the years and at present.
Speaking at a White House reception for the Jewish Hanukkah festival, Biden recalled his decades-long relationship with Netanyahu.
He noted he made an inscription on an old photograph of the two men, using a nickname for the Israeli leader.
He did not elaborate on what differences between the two men remained, though in recent weeks, they have included issues spanning the current war against Hamas and the treatment of Palestinians.
Biden has weathered intense criticism for his support for Israel’s response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 cross-border attack, when the militants killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage, according to Israeli tallies. About 100 hostages have since been freed.
Biden said the United States would continue to work to free hostages still held in Gaza, speed humanitarian aid to Palestinians and “emphasise to our Israeli friends we need to protect civilian life.”
