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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Proceed with Invasion of Rafah Despite Biden’s Warning
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intention to move forward with an invasion of the Palestinian city of Rafah, located on the southern border of the Gaza Strip with Egypt, despite objections from US President Joe Biden. In an interview with Politico, Netanyahu emphasized his determination to carry out the invasion, stating, “We’ll go there. We’re not going to leave.”
Netanyahu underscored his stance by mentioning, “You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is, that October 7 doesn’t happen again. Never happens again.” When asked about Biden’s concerns, he expressed uncertainty about the President’s intentions, asserting that Biden was mistaken on both counts.
Questioning the Palestinian State Issue
“[The Israeli people] also support my position that says that we should resoundingly reject the attempt to ram down our throats a Palestinian state. That is something that they agree on,” Netanyahu stated. He pointed out the misunderstanding among opponents, emphasizing, “They don’t understand that the reason we don’t have peace is not because the Palestinians don’t have a state. It’s because the Jews have a state. And in fact, the Palestinians have not brought themselves to recognize and accept the Jewish state.”
Netanyahu’s statements followed Biden’s cautionary remarks in an interview with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, where the President described the invasion of Rafah as a “big mistake.” Biden emphasized the importance of considering the innocent lives at risk due to the military actions being taken. He remarked, “It’s contrary to what Israel stands for. And I think it’s a big mistake. It is a red line, but I’m never going to leave Israel. The defence of Israel is still critical, so there’s no red line I’m going to cut off all weapons so they don’t have the Iron Dome to protect them.”
Despite some reservations about Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, Biden has come under pressure from within the Democratic Party to oppose the military actions more vigorously. This pushback has been evident in recent primary elections, where a notable percentage of voters opted to remain “uncommitted” rather than fully endorse Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee. This growing discontent underscores the complex dynamics at play in the ongoing conflict.
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