By making the trip to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Joe Biden sought to offset negative coverage of the $6 billion Iran deal, which was made just 25 days before Iran-funded Hamas attacked Israel, political observers assumed.
Okay. For an aging American president to visit Israel during a war could be seen as a warm and courageous sign of support. Mission accomplished.
But while in Israel, Biden also announced the U.S. would provide as much aid to Hamas-controlled Gaza as provided annually by Iran. Thus the Biden Administration could be seen as not only indirectly enabling a bloody terror attack on Israel but directly rewarding it after it had happened.
Was this message the real purpose of his trip?
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked on incredulously, Biden, responding to the reported bombing of a Gaza hospital, read from note cards and stated that “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you.”
Biden told Netanyahu that there were “a lot of people out there” who weren’t sure what caused the blast, which sparked protests throughout the Middle East.
“The entire world was rightfully outraged but this outrage should be directed not at Israel but at the terrorists,” Netanyahu said.
Soon after, Biden announced he would send $100 million "in U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the West Bank."
Biden argued that the aid is needed because the “vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas.”
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted: "Biden just announced he’s going to be giving $100 million to the “Gaza Strip” aka Hamas. The same amount of money Iran gives Hamas every single year. There is now no difference between Joe Biden and the Ayatollah of Iran."
Human Events editor Jack Posobiec noted: "NOW — Biden to Israel's war cabinet: "You are not alone”. Said that to Zelensky too before he stopped taking his calls. And Biden really doesn’t want you to ask what happened to the President of Afghanistan…"
Critics noted that the funds will inevitably wind up in the hands of Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
Biden "decided that he could insult Israel right to its face while in Tel Aviv because he asked the Israeli Cabinet to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza civilians, 'based on understanding that there will be inspections and aid should go to civilians, not to Hamas,' " PJ Media's Matt Margolis noted. "By sending money to Gaza instead of actual humanitarian aid, Biden is essentially promising millions of dollars to Hamas, which controls Gaza. And the worst thing about it is that he seems to know that’s exactly what’s going to happen."
Biden insisted: “Let me be clear, if Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people. And it will end.”
Margolis noted: "But let’s trust them with millions of dollars first. Right? Does he not realize who controls Gaza? How is it possible that we’re having this conversation now? Is Joe Biden crazy? Why are we going through this again?"
The Biden team unfroze $6 billion in Iranian assets with the condition that the money would only be used for humanitarian purposes.
Iran scoffed at the condition, saying that it would decide how it would spend the money and openly "informing the world it had no intention of complying with the conditions that the Biden administration put forth," Margolis wrote, adding "Why is Joe Biden putting Hamas in a position of trust?"
Kirby: Biden plans to grill Israel PM. Boy What a mission. Undercut its defense against Hamas https://t.co/XKruVOW9ys
— Rowan Scarborough (@RoScarborough) October 18, 2023
Biden announces "$100 million of new U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance in both Gaza and the West Bank" pic.twitter.com/6S2p1c4Lo9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 18, 2023
