Biden Criticizes Netanyahu in New Memoir Excerpt

Former U.S. President Joe Biden has sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a chapter from his new memoir, published by CNN. Biden expressed frustration with Netanyahu's alleged focus on short-term political needs over Israel's long-term interests, despite understanding the pressures he faced. "It frustrated me that he failed to think like a statesman and preserve Israel's long-term interests, instead of focusing only on his short-term political needs," Biden wrote.

Biden also addressed the war in Gaza, claiming Netanyahu promised the White House that Israel would avoid harming civilians, a promise Biden believes Netanyahu had no intention of keeping. "Bibi had no problem making promises he didn't have the ability, or the intention, to keep," Biden stated.

Biden recounted that from the war's outset, he urged Israel to take precautions to minimize harm to Palestinian civilians. He conveyed these concerns privately to Netanyahu, who acknowledged that the rising civilian casualties were damaging Israel's image and American support for the war. However, Biden observed a pattern: Netanyahu would promise to do more, followed by further offensive military action that resulted in more civilian deaths. When pressed for accountability, Israelis would offer explanations or excuses, but the outcome remained the same.

The memoir excerpt also touched on Biden's own health and fitness for the presidency. He wrote about the narrative that he was weak, countering that serious candidates chose not to run against him because he was too strong. He noted that while the primaries offered no warning signs, the narrative of him being too old and mentally declining persisted.