Biden: I've been working nonstop to establish an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that would last for six weeks
Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip, US President Joe Biden said during the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 7, 2024. - REUTERS
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Thursday criticized Israel in his last State of the Union address before the two men face off in the November U.S. election.
TOUGH WORDS FOR ISRAEL
Biden issued a sharp directive to Israel's leaders, telling them not to hold up humanitarian aid to Palestinians for political purposes.
"To the leadership of Israel I say this: Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip," Biden said. "Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority. As we look to the future, the only real solution to this situation is a two-state solution."
Biden has faced increasing pressure from fellow Democrats over his support for Israel's response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
"I’ve been working non-stop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for six weeks," he said, reiterating U.S. policy but using the word "ceasefire" that his administration once shied away from.
Biden faces discontent among progressives in his party about his support for Israel in its war against Hamas and from Republicans over his stance on immigration, but the mood among Democrats in the chamber was rapturous. They greeted Biden with cheers and applause, prompting him to quip that he should leave before he even began.
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