According to the White House, among the topics of discussion were accelerating the delivery of humanitarian aid, as well as the imminent Israeli army attack on Rafah – the latest attack which the United States supports only if certain conditions are met.
Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced this The Israeli government sends an official to Washington to discuss the planned attack on Rafah.
According to the Israeli government statement, at the same time, Benjamin Netanyahu informed the American President about this during the phone call His country is determined to achieve all its goals in Gaza while providing the necessary humanitarian aid to the people of the Palestinian territories.
The phone conversation that took place on Monday preceded the speech delivered by the Democratic majority leader in the US Senate on Thursday, which caused tension between the two countries. Chuck Schumer, who has been praised as the highest-ranking elected politician of Jewish descent, in his speech on a two-state solution in the Middle East during a House of Counsel session He called for new elections and the replacement of Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as an obstacle.
The Israeli government protested his words, and the prominent Republican senator in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, accused his political colleague of hypocrisy, and noted that he called for the dismissal of the leader of a democratically elected country. Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi, the former Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives and one of the top Democratic representatives, assured the Democratic senator of her support.
President Joe Biden said of Chuck Schumer's speech that it was a “good speech” that reflects the concerns of many Americans. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that it is up to the people of Israel to decide who they choose as their leader.
Benjamin Netanyahu also told CNN on Sunday that it is wrong for someone in a sisterly democratic country to call for the replacement of the elected leadership, adding that this is an Israeli matter, noting that
Israel is not a banana republic.
The United States regularly calls on Israel to do more to protect civilians in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to flow.
President Joe Biden described the attack on the city of Rafah, which the Israeli government had already approved, as a red line, and said they wanted to see a credible plan to protect the civilian population there. At the same time, the US President also confirmed in a previous interview that US military support to Israel will not stop.
Cover image source: Getty Images
