Biden Fails To Condemn Hamas Terrorist Attacks On Israel
As the radical Islamist group Hamas terrorizes Israel, launching rockets on Jerusalem Day, President Joe Biden did not directly condemn the group Wednesday after a reporter asked him about the ensuing Middle East conflict.
A reporter asked Biden if he is “concerned” about the conflict. Biden said “Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory” but did not go further to call out Hamas as the one doing the terrorizing.
“My national security staff and defense staff has been in constant contact with their counterparts in the Middle East, not just with the Israelis, but also with everyone from the Egyptians, to the Saudis, to the Emirates, etc.,” said Biden. “And I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu not too long ago; I’ll be putting out a statement very shortly on that. My expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later.”
Hamas Strikes, the Usual Suspects Cheer
I don’t think we have yet written about the current conflict in Israel. In the last two days, Hamas has launched, as of the last total I have seen, more than 700 rockets into Israel. Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities have come under attack. Several Israelis have been killed, despite that country’s robust civil defense system.
Israel has responded in its usual fashion, with targeted strikes against Hamas leaders and facilities. As always, the IDF’s Twitter feed is a good place to go for information. This tweet shows some of the areas that have come under attack:
A death cult reignites its terror against Israeli civilians. Wed May 12, 2021 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is spinning out of control toward another possible all-out war. Blame should, of course, fall on the Palestinian terrorists operating from Gaza, who have once again fired hundreds of rockets inside Israel against civilian targets. This time, the terrorists deliberately escalated what began as a local fracas over the possible eviction of Palestinians from homes they have been occupying in an area of East Jerusalem known as Sheikh Jarrah. Israeli Jews claim that this land belongs to them. After a barrage of rocket attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck back. The Palestinians are complaining. Here we go again.
Israel is heading for full-scale WAR , UN warns, as clashes between Jews and Arabs spark civil war in one city: 43 Palestinians and five Israelis now dead as Gaza is bombarded and Hamas rockets continue to fall Stop the fire immediately. We re escalating towards a full-scale war. Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation, Tor Wennesland UN Special Envoy to the Middle East Peace Process tweeted
Last night s barrages levelled tower blocks in Gaza as death toll rose to 43 Palestinians, including 13 children
Rockets from suspected Hamas strongholds have killed five Israelis, including two women and a child
The news from Israel
Jewish Insider’s Daily Kickoff drives me nuts on most days, but this morning it leads off with a useful summary of the latest from Israel (links omitted below):
Violence between Gaza and Israel intensified last night, with Hamas shooting hundreds of rockets towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area for the first time since 2018. More than 1,000 rockets have been fired at Israel since the latest round of clashes began.
Rockets rained down nearly nonstop on much of Israel yesterday evening and continued overnight. The death toll in Israel rose to six, including an Indian foreign worker killed in Rishon Lezion and an Arab father and daughter killed near Lod.