New York – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday defended Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and its decision to intercept the pro-Palestinian flotilla bringing humanitarian aid to the coastal territory, though he did not go so far as to defend the Israel Navy raid that killed nine people two days earlier.
In an interview with Charlie Rose, Biden pointed out that Israel had given pro-Palestinian activists the option of unloading their cargo at the Ashdod port, and offered to bring it to the Gaza Strip on their behalf.
“They’ve said, ‘Here you go. You’re in the Mediterranean. This ship — if you divert slightly north you can unload it and we’ll get the stuff into Gaza,'”, he said. “So what’s the big deal here? What’s the big deal of insisting it go straight to Gaza? Well, it’s legitimate for Israel to say, ‘I don’t know what’s on that ship. These guys are dropping… 3,000 rockets on my people.
“Look, you can argue whether Israel should have dropped people onto that ship or not — but the truth of the matter is, Israel has a right to know — they’re at war with Hamas — has a right to know whether or not arms are being smuggled in.”
During the interview, Biden also blamed Hamas for the crisis that has wracked the coastal territory and for the ongoing state of conflict with Israel.
“As we put pressure, and the world put pressure on Israel to let material go into Gaza to help those people who are suffering, the ordinary Palestinians there, what happened? Hamas would confiscate it, put it in a warehouse [and] sell it.
“So the problem is this would end tomorrow if Hamas agreed to form a government with the Palestinian Authority on the conditions the international community has set up,” Biden told Rose.
Kudos to the honorable Mr. Biden, a true ohev yisroel.
May you be blessed
kol hakavod mr biden. I must say that i pleased with the reaction of the administration on this one.
Biden has always been a friend and defender of Israel throughout his more than 3 decades in Washignton.
Thank You Mr Joe Biden.he said it as it is. Thanks!
Have we so soon forgotten Biden’s prior actions?
I’ll be happier when I hear those words from his boss, BHO. I doubt that’ll ever happen though.
Is he the vice president in the Obama admistration?
Does Obama know what his VP said?
I’m shocked!!
Good Job VP and hope the world will follow your steps and condem Hamas instead of Israel.
Thank you Mr. Biden!
Wow. Say it loud, say it often, Mr. VP.
Mr Biden, can you please teach your boss!!!
Reasons why Israel and Hamas wont allow the aid to go through.
Israel-There might be weapons
Hamas-There might be food, and humanitarian aid .
well said – i hope the whole world hears this opinion
A dollar short and a day late. We need a security council meeting to investigate the Turks and we need to throw them out of NATO. Sorry Mr. Biden don’t offer condolences to the turks and maybe I will believe you next time.
Don’t be naïve he’s hanging around yidden, he’s a little late……he’s a schmoozer,YIDDIN their is NO support for EY only HKBH einy hashem ……maraishis ad acharis hashono.
the Ribbono shel Olam has certainly provided us with the support & benevolence of the U.S. govt, we must do our part to show our appreciation to them & more important-to ever increase our tefillos, limud haTorah & asiyos mitzvos
I’m confused, it seems like this administration is talking out of both side of the mouth! Have any of you heard what Sec of State Clinton was saying today?
abama is not talking
he’s a small child
he has to let biden talk
as if its not comming from him
in NOVEMBER
abama will see what’s going to be
VP Biden is known to let his mouth run. There has been repeated incidents where he misspoke. I doubt he was speaking for the administration when he made those comments. on the positive side, its good to see where his heart lies.
how naive can you be?it doesnt matter what biden says to a couple of jewish people
let the state dept. stand up and say this to the world, huh??
they wont- because the american gov. today is an enemy of israel
WAKE UP!
The only ohev yisroel in the white house
If we hear this from biden dosent mean that obama agrees, biden talks like a babe he can’t control his self
i’m wondering why i didn’t hear about this in the news (CBS CNN etc…)
saying they are “at war” gives Hamas a status I don’t like. He should better have said that they are attacked by Hamas. But good that he said that Israel had right to defend. Its a bit obvious that obama wasnt the one to say it, doesnt that implicate his reputation as further questionable?
As the good proverb says: “Only in deep trouble one learns who is his true friend.”