WASHINGTON, D.C — In a conversation with Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, on the floor of the House of Representatives, a “hot microphone” picked up President Biden telling the senator that he had told Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu that they needed to have a “Come to Jesus” conversation — which is slang for a blunt conversation — over the issue of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
When reporters later asked why such a meeting was necessary, Biden said, “I didn’t say that in the speech … You guys [were] eavesdropping.”
Bennet said that he had told Biden about his recent trip to Jordan and urged him to “keep pushing what you’re doing on the humanitarian stuff.”
In other developments:
–The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) and the Vandenberg Coalition have recommended that following the Israel-Hamas war, an International Trust for Gaza Reconstruction be formed by “the United States and concerned states that accept Israel’s role in the region, seeking to help the people of Gaza and advance a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Besides the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt are recommended for membership along with others “with the capacity to contribute to Gaza’s peaceful future,” with their roles to be negotiated among them. The Trust should cooperate with the Palestinian Authority and with Israel to the maximum extent possible, but neither should be part of its membership. An advisory Palestinian Council for Administration and Reconstruction made up of non-Hamas residents of Gaza, the West Bank, and from the diaspora should be recruited ‘to serve as the Trust’s key advisory body and partner.”
–President Biden’s State of the Union message was delayed briefly Thursday night by pro-Palestinian protesters who blocked the President’s route from the White House to the U.S. Capitol with ten persons holding a horizontal banner stating, “Biden’s Legacy is Genocide.” Demonstrators at the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 3rd Street also chanted “Free Palestine.”
–European Commision President Ursula von der Leyen announced that humanitarian aid for Gaza will sail from Cyprus perhaps as early as this weekend as part of the international aid effort announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday. Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, and the United States will participate in the relief efforts that will involve use of a temporary harbor in Gaza pending construction of the floating pier that Biden announced in his State of the Union message.
–Netherlands’ government announced it is sending a frigate to the Red Sea to participate in the international armada tasked with protecting shipping from attack by the Houthis in Yemen. The frigate’s air defense system can explode incoming missiles.
–U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) says he will introduce legislation making it clear that “anyone who supports Hamas or any other terrorist group should not receive a security clearance.” Further, Cotton stated, “radical, pro-Hamas mobs committing crimes and perpetrating violence should face the full extent of the law. No one has the right to commit violence in support of terrorism.” He said it is “necessary to ensure that we reject antisemitism and hold these pro-Hamas criminals accountable.”
— At Trinity College at the University of Cambridge, Palestinian protesters spray painted and slashed a portrait of Arthur James Balfour by artist Philip Alexius de Laszlo. Balfour, while Britain’s Foreign Minister, issued a statement that “His Majesty’s government views with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in another country.”
–Eden Golan, a Russian-Israeli singer, will be able to sing “Hurricane” at this year’s Eurovision. The song has the same melody, but different lyrics than “October Rain,” which was banned for its references to the Oct. 7 massacre. Eurovision has strict rules banning political content.
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SDJW staff report.