After the UNSC voted in favor of an immediate ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chastised the US for its lack of action. The United States, the closest ally of Israel, did not cast a vote. The prime minister called off his top advisors’ scheduled trip to Washington. The White House was shocked and confused when Israel canceled its planned visit by a delegation, leaving them disappointed and confused. The US pledged to look for other ways to allay worries about the planned Israeli military operation in Rafah.
As stated by ANI, Kirby responded, “We’re kind of perplexed by this,” when asked about US President Joe Biden’s thoughts on Netanyahu’s choice. There are a few things that really should be repeated. First off, the resolution is not legally binding. Consequently, there is zero impact on Israel and Israel’s ability to continue pursuing Hamas. Secondly, as I mentioned in my introductory remarks, it does not signify any modification to our policy.”
It aligns well with all we’ve been stating we want to do here. We also have the power to decide which policies to implement. It appears from the prime minister’s office’s public pronouncements that anything changed in this situation. No, we haven’t. Additionally, we are able to decide what our policy is. It appears that the prime minister’s office is opting to make this appear to be daylight when it is not necessary. Thus, to reiterate, our position has not changed,” he said.
Kirby’s comments come after Netanyahu canceled an important group trip to Washington on Monday because the US refused to veto a resolution from the UN Security Council that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan.
