'Looks weak': Joe Biden slammed over lukewarm response to Israeli airstrike killing aid workers in Gaza

WASHINGTON, DC: President Biden found himself under scrutiny from both Democrats and Republicans this week following his reaction to an Israeli airstrike that tragically claimed the lives of seven aid workers from the World Central Kitchen in Gaza on Monday, April 1, 2024.

Biden, 81, said on Tuesday, April 2, that he was "outraged and heartbroken" over the deaths of the aid workers who were delivering essential food supplies to Gaza's population. Despite his strong sentiments, the President did not signal any immediate change in his administration's support for Israel in its ongoing conflict with Hamas.

Blaming Israel

In a public statement, Biden placed the blame squarely on Israel, demanding a thorough investigation to ensure accountability. He criticized Israel for not adequately protecting aid workers in the Palestinian territory.

“This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed,” the POTUS said, before adding, “This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult — because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians.”

Politico reported that President Biden was privately furious over the airstrike, particularly upon learning that the Israel Defense Forces mistakenly targeted members of celebrity chef Jose Andres' humanitarian group. He personally reached out to Andres to convey his condolences, describing the aid workers as "brave and selfless."

Criticism from Democrats

However, criticism swiftly followed, with Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, denouncing Biden's response as insufficient.

“The President doesn’t get credit for being ‘privately enraged’ when he still refuses to use leverage to stop the IDF from killing and starving innocent people,” Favreau wrote on X. “These stories only make him look weak," he added.

Democratic Michigan Representative Abraham Aiyash echoed similar sentiments. "Deeds are more important than dialogue," he wrote, adding, “The President is prioritizing Netanyahu’s Israel over the preservation of innocent life and basic human decency – and risks unraveling American democracy because of it." 

Republican backlash

On the other side of the political spectrum, Republicans criticized President Joe Biden for directing his ire at Israel rather than Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza.

Wisconsin Representative Derrick Van Orden lambasted Biden for not expressing outrage over Hamas' actions. “How about Biden being outraged over the American and Israeli hostages being brutalized by the Hamas savages and remembering that Hamas is the cause of all of this tragedy,” Orden wrote on X. “Biden has abandoned Israel." 

Florida Representative Mike Waltz reminded the public of the Biden administration's own controversial drone strike in Afghanistan.

“REMINDER: The Biden Administration carried out a drone strike on an aid worker and his family during the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. There was no accountability for that action,” Waltz wrote, adding, “Biden might want to hold off on the righteous indignation and criticism." 

Awaiting investigation results

In response to queries about the US reaction to the Israeli airstrike, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the Biden administration was awaiting the results of Israel's investigation before making any decisions.

“They have already admitted that they conducted this strike; they have already publicly said that they’re at fault,” Kirby told reporters, adding, “We need to let them finish that work and speak to it themselves. So I’m not prepared at this point to speculate about anything we might or might not do.”

Kirby said that the US was not planning to conduct its own investigation of the incident.

“We need to let the [Israeli] investigation conclude; we need to see what they learned; and we need to see, just as importantly, what they do about what they’ve learned, what changes they’re willing to make, what accountability they’re willing to observe,” he said, before adding, “We’re just not there yet.”

The airstrike on the World Central Kitchen convoy is just one tragic incident in a broader context of violence in Gaza. According to the United Nations, at least 196 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since the outbreak of the war, the New York Post reported.

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