Over 30,000 Palestinians Have Been Killed. Biden Says Critics Should, “Give This Just a Little Bit of Time”

By Michael Arria / Mondoweiss

Joe Biden says that critics of his Gaza policy should give Israel’s bombing “a little bit of time.”

“I don’t want to see any Palestinians killed—I think that it’s contrary to what we believe as Americans,” the President told journalist Evan Osnos during a wide-ranging interview with The New Yorker that was published on Monday. “I think they have to give this just a little bit of time, understanding what would happen if they came into their state or their neighborhood and saw what happened with Hamas.”

“The pressure on the leadership to move with every ounce of capacity against Hamas is real,” he added. “But it doesn’t mean it should be continued. It doesn’t mean it’s right. And so, I think you’re going to see—I’m praying you’re going to see—a significant downturn in the use of force.”

Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s assault on the region began last October. Women and children make up more than half of those deaths.

In the interview, Biden also expressed frustration over the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. “I understand the anger and the rage,” said Biden, invoking the Hamas attack of October 7. “But you can’t let the rage consume you to the point where you lose the moral high ground.”

The United States government supplies Israel with more than $3.8 billion in military aid every year, and Biden is pushing Congress to approve an additional $14 billion.

The President also suggested that the Israeli government might accept Palestinian statehood in exchange for normalized relations with Saudi Arabia. “We could put in place a circumstance that ends up where they continue to move—as we did with bin Laden—against the leaders of Hamas, but not assume that every Palestinian is a supporter of Hamas,” he explained.

Osnos writes that he spoke with Palestinian-American voter Mohammad Qazzaz after his talk with Biden. The journalist had chatted with the Michigan-based coffee business owner in 2020, back when he was an ardent Biden supporter. However, things have changed.

“There are people who bleed Democratic here, but they will never vote for Biden again,” says Qazzaz. “Some of them are actually saying they will vote for Trump because they just want to screw up the whole system. Screw this country if it thinks we’re dogs.”

Qazzaz said he can’t bring himself to ever vote for Trump, but says he will write “Free Palestine” on his ballot.

His sentiments are far from unique. Last month more than 100,000 people voted “Uncommitted” in Michigan’s Democratic primary in attempt to push Biden on the issue.

“Our movement emerged victorious tonight and massively surpassed our expectations. Tens of thousands of Michigan Democrats, many of whom who voted for Biden in 2020, are uncommitted to his re-election due to the war in Gaza,” tweeted the group Listen to Michigan, which spearheaded the movement in less than a month with very little in way of financial resources. “President Biden has funded the bombs falling on the family members of people who live right here in Michigan. People who voted for him, who now feel completely betrayed. President Biden, listen to Michigan. Count us out, Joe.”

In the New Yorker interview Biden insists that he will beat former president Donald Trump again.

“Well, first of all, remember, in 2020, you guys told me how I wasn’t going to win? And then you told me in 2022 how it was going to be this red wave?,” said Biden. “And I told you there wasn’t going to be any red wave. And in 2023 you told me we’re going to get our ass kicked again? And we won every contested race out there. In 2024, I think you’re going to see the same thing.”

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