JERUSALEM (SDJW) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Politico that he doesn’t know exactly what President Biden meant when he asserted that Netanyahu’s policies were hurting Israel more than helping.
However, if Biden were suggesting “that I’m pursuing private policies against the wish of the majority of Israelis and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he is wrong on both counts.”
He also said 75 percent of Hamas’ battalions have been destroyed, and the remainder are expected to be destroyed in one to two months. “We’re close to finishing the last part of warfare … maybe six weeks, maybe four,” he said.
In related news:
— Israel has built a wide road east-west road across Gaza stretching from a point adjacent to Nahal Oz in the Sha’ar Hanegev municipality to the Mediterranean Sea. Built to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment, according to the IDF, it lies between Gaza City to the north and central and southern Gaza to the south, and crosses two major north-south roads, Salah al-Din and al-Rashid. The IDF has given the road the code name of Highway 749.
— U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, (Ind-Vermont) said in a Face the Nation interview on Sunday that there should be “no more money to Netanyahu’s war machine to kill Palestinian children.” He called upon President Biden to suspend or condition U.S. military aid to Israel’s on Israel’s cooperation in getting humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. “I think at the end of the day, Hamas cannot be continuing to run Gaza and the Netanyahu government cannot continue to run Israel if we’re going to ever bring peace to the region.”
–Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted traffic as Hollywood stars began arriving for the Oscar ceremony. Billie Elish and her brother Finneas, nominees for the song “What Was I Made For” in the movie Barbie, wore red Artists4Ceasefire pins. Los Angeles Police beefed up their security in preparation for the event.
–In Amsterdam, the attendance of Israel’s President Isaac Herzog at the opening of the National Holocaust Museum drew hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who threw eggs and firecrackers at Dutch police. A smaller group of protesters with Israeli flags called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of the hostages. Inside, Herzog commented: “Unfortunately never again is now, right now. Because right now, hatred and antisemitism are flourishing worldwide and we must fight it together.” He also called for the hostages to be returned safely and immediately.
–Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulazis said in a statement marking the beginning of Ramadan that the international community must protect Gaza civilians and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza civilians. He accused Israel of “brutal crimes” in a statement read by Salman al-Dosari, the Saudi Minister of Media.
–Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a long-lasting ceasefire “preferably during Ramadan… Such a ceasefire should ensure that the Israeli hostages are finally released and that more humanitarian aid finally arrives in Gaza.” He added that “Many people in Germany are also deeply affected – by the suffering of the murdered and abducted Israelis and the fate of the innocent people killed, wounded and suffering in Gaza.” In Berlin on Sunday, about 300 demonstrators marched in support of Israel and against antisemitism following a route to the Memorial of Murdered Jews of Europe.
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SDJW roundup from its wire services