Former President Joe Biden says his effort to curb civilian harm in Gaza failed, recalling private appeals to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he defends U.S. support for Israel in a forthcoming memoir.
CNN obtained an advance chapter of the book in which Biden describes his exchanges with Netanyahu. Biden recalls calling the Israeli prime minister several times on Oct. 7, 2023. He says his requests for precautions against civilian suffering dated to the conflict’s outset.
Biden writes that Netanyahu understood civilian deaths were hurting Israel’s standing and weakening U.S. backing for the war. He quotes himself describing the Israeli leader as making promises he had “no power — or intention — to keep.” The excerpts reviewed do not identify specific military operations behind Biden’s criticism.
The Washington Post reported that, in a separate passage, Biden says his effort to restrain Israel fell short. He writes that Palestinian deaths exceeded what he considered acceptable and that supplies of food, water, medicine and fuel remained inadequate in Gaza for too long. Biden also argues that Netanyahu put immediate political needs ahead of Israel’s longer-term interests.
Biden defends his decision to provide aid to Israel after the Hamas attack, writing that he believed U.S. interests and obligations to allies required support. The Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu had not responded to the passages at the time of its report.
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