U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired on Monday that he strongly supports Israel’s existence, and touted his record of supporting the Palestinians
During an interview with Complex Networks’ Speedy Morman taped on Friday in Detroit, the president was asked about comments he made during his debate with former president Donald Trump last month regarding his support for Israel.
“During the debate you said we are the biggest producer of support for Israel of anyone in the world. You also said that we’re providing Israel with all the weapons they need and when they need them. Back in April, $26 billion in aid was sent or was approved to be sent to Israel. Why?” asked Morman.
“I said defensive weapons,” Biden told Morman. “I denied them offensive weapons that they were using, 2,000-pound bombs and the rest, because I made it real clear they cannot use weapons that we provide them to in fact use in civilian areas, and that’s why I put together this plan.”
The interviewer then pressed Biden, saying, “My question though is why is your and the U.S. support for Israel at the current moment so strong?”
To which Biden replied, “Look, if there weren’t an Israel, every Jew in the world would be at risk. Every Jew in the world would be at risk, and so there is a need for it to be strong and a need for Israel to be able to have, after World War II, the ability for Jews to have a place that was their own.
“You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist and Zionism is about whether or not Israel is a safe haven for Jews because of their history of how they’ve been persecuted.”
“Are you a Zionist?” Morman then asked.
“Yes,” the president replied.
“By the way, I’m the guy who did more for the Palestinian community than anybody. I’m the guy who opened up all the assets. I’m the guy that made sure that I got the Egyptians to open the border to let goods through, medicine and food,” he added.
“I’m the guy who pulled together the Arab states to help the Palestinians with food and shelter,” he continued.
Hamas, he said, was another story.
“I’ve been very supportive of the Palestinians, but Hamas are a bunch of thugs. Hamas is not worthy,” he said. “I was over there [in Israel], about eight days after the massacre, and saw photographs of mothers and daughters being tied in a rope together and kerosene poured on their heads and being burned to death. Nothing’s happened like that since the Holocaust and it’s just not appropriate.”
The president was then asked why, given his support for Israel, a Muslim or Arab American would vote for his re-election.
“The same reason why Arab Americans in the region support me,” said Biden. “The same reason why—because it’s the best way to keep peace. The best way to put things together, to make sure that there is a two-state solution in the region, and I’ve been a strong supporter of that, and everything I’ve done, I’ve gotten significant support from Arab countries in the region as well,” he added.
The Saudis, he said, want to “fully recognize” Israel in return for a U.S. guarantee that they will be provided with weapons if attacked by other Arab nations, adding, “that one just around the corner.”
Riyadh was also asking for help moving away from fossil fuels as part of a normalization deal, he added.
“We would allow them, we would put a civilian nuclear facility there [in Saudi Arabia], we’d operate [it], our military, we’d operate so they can move away from fossil fuels. That’s a big game changer in the whole region,” he said.
“I worked with [President Abdel Fatah] al-Sisi of Egypt and the king of Jordan as a friend. I’ve been able to work with Arab countries very well. I don’t have a prejudiced bone in my body. The Arab people are good people, they need help now, they need help,” he said.
