Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back Tuesday on President Joe Biden's claim that Israel will lose support around the world if its "incredibly conservative" government continues its Gaza campaign.
On Monday, Biden told NBC's "Late Night With Seth Meyers" that "Israel has had the overwhelming support of the vast majority of nations."
But if it continues its current course of action "with this incredibly conservative government they have, and Ben-Gvir and others … they're gonna lose support from around the world, and that is not in Israel's interest," Biden said, referring to Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
However, "there is a path forward," Biden said, which he couched as a cease-fire coupled with a hostage deal during the month of Ramadan.
"That gives us time to begin to move in directions that a lot of Arab countries are prepared to move in," he said. "For example, Saudi Arabia's ready to recognize Israel."
In a statement on Tuesday, Netanyahu pushed back, claiming that he's led a successful effort "to block pressure designed to end the war prematurely, and to secure strong support for Israel."
The Israeli leader cited a recent Harvard-Harris poll that found more than 80% of U.S. respondents support Israel over Hamas in the current war.
"This will help us continue the campaign until total victory," Netanyahu said.
According to a recent AP/Norc poll, 50% of U.S. adults in January said Israel had gone too far in its Gaza Strip offensive, which was up from the 40% who said so in November.
Netanyahu's comments highlight the increased friction between the two world leaders as the conflict grinds on.
For his part, Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with his Israeli counterpart and the Jewish state's actions during the seemingly interminable war.
Earlier this month, he described the Israeli military operation as "over the top" and told Netanyahu in January that he didn't sign up for a year of hostilities.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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