From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
American envoy to Israel tells rabbi that war in Gaza is ‘very unpopular’ in the US
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
In rare public comments, US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew is filmed explaining to a prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Bnei Brak the difficult position in which President Joe Biden finds himself as he tries to defend Israel in the war against Hamas.
“It’s not easy because it’s a very hard war and it’s not a very popular war in the United States — very unpopular,” Lew is heard telling Hillel Hirsch. “He’s trying to make his positions clear while being able to continue to help Israel accomplish what it needs to accomplish — and when he needs to, saying when he thinks Israel needs to do some things differently — as friends must.”
שגריר ארה"ב בישראל ג'ק לו נפגש היום עם הרב משה הלל הירש ממנהיגי הציבור החרדי-ליטאי. הנה קטע מהשיחה שלהם על הנשיא ביידן: pic.twitter.com/j3Vjizt8cd
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 8, 2024
“Since October 7, I think the world has seen that for most of his life, Joe Biden is a Zionist. He believes in Israel and believes in the need for a Jewish homeland. Since October 7, the world has seen how he responds to tragedy,” Lew adds.
