President Biden and former President Donald Trump were put in the hot seat regarding Middle East policy in Thursday night’s first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign when asked respectively about leverage over Hamas and Israel to end the war and support for a Palestinian state.
Biden outlined the three phases of his ceasefire proposal and said Hamas is the only one who wants the war to continue and is standing in the way of the deal.
“We’re still pushing hard for them to accept,” Biden said.
He added that Hamas has been greatly weakened and should be eliminated.
Israel remained a crucial topic for Republican and Democratic candidates alike
While not naming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden acknowledged Netanyahu’s claims that he’s denied Israel weapons.
“The only thing I’ve denied Israel was 2,000-pound bombs; they don’t work very well in populated areas,” he said. “We are providing Israel with all the weapons they need and when they need them.”
Biden added that “he’s the guy that organized the world against Iran” when they had a full-blown ballistic missile attack on Israel.
Biden touted that not one Israeli was accidentally killed.
“We saved Israel. We are the biggest producer of support for Israel out of anyone in the world,” Biden said.
Trump said “he’d have to see” when asked if he’d support a Palestinian state.
Referencing Biden’s claim that Hamas is the only one who wants war, Trump said Israel wants war.
“And he should let them go and let them finish the job,” Trump said of Biden. “He doesn’t want to do it. He’s become like a Palestinian, but they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian. He’s a weak one.”
There were no questions about humanitarian aid to Gaza or specific day-after plans.
There were also no questions on Lebanon or rising antisemitism in the US and around the world.
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