(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Biden, Western European leaders release joint statement to express 'united support' for Israel [1] [] Date: 2023-10-10 In a remarkable display of unity, the leaders of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy consulted by phone and crafted a joint statement expressing their “steadfast and united support” for Israel and “unequivocal condemnation” of Hamas for “its appalling acts of terrorism.” The joint statement, which was released Monday, was signed by President Joe Biden along with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olof Scholz, and Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak of Britain and Georgia Meloni of Italy. It follows an unprecedented attack on Israel from Gaza on Saturday by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Israel has responded with waves of airstrikes and a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip. RELATED STORY: Misinformation about the Israel-Hamas war is flooding social media. Here are the facts At mid-day Tuesday, CNN reported: At least 900 people are dead in Israel, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Tel Aviv has responded with an overwhelming number of airstrikes on Gaza, the 140 square-mile densely populated territory controlled by Hamas, leaving at least 830 people dead there and displacing more than 137,000. x France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, and the United States — We express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism. Here is our joint statement.… — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 9, 2023 On Tuesday, Biden spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before delivering a publicly televised speech. A White House readout of the phone call said the president expressed “full support for the Government and people of Israel in the face of an unprecedented and appalling assault by Hamas terrorists. … The President emphasized that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorism, and all countries must stand united in the face of such brutal atrocities.” Flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Biden spoke later Tuesday from the White House, comparing Hamas’ assault on Israel to the “worst rampages” of the Islamic State. He added that the Israeli people had experienced “pure, unadulterated evil” at the “bloody hands” of Hamas. “This was an act of sheer evil,” he said. Biden said at least 14 Americans were among the hundreds killed in Israel, and an unknown number of American citizens are among those held captive by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "In this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel,” he declared. “We stand with Israel. and we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, to defend itself and to respond to this attack. There's no justification for terrorism. There's no excuse. This is terrorism.” x YouTube Video RELATED STORY: President Biden delivers remarks on war in Israel and Gaza What’s noteworthy is that neither Biden nor the other four Western leaders urged Netanyahu to exercise restraint in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. They also did not call for an immediate cease-fire or quick resumption of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The statement by the five leaders read: We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism. In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children, and entire families, who are now being held as hostages. Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. But the statement also noted that Hamas does not represent the “legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.” All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed. Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region. And like many issues around Palestine and Israel, it’s complicated, as NBC news attempts to explain what Hamas represents: Hamas says it is a freedom-fighting movement trying to free Palestinians from occupation and reclaim large parts of Israel. Its tactics are divisive among Palestinians and those who support establishing a Palestinian state because of its use of violence. As peace talks have repeatedly failed, its attacks have grown more popular among Palestinians. A recent poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, based in Ramallah, found that nearly a quarter of Palestinians said movements like Hamas were “the most positive thing that has happened to the Palestinian people since 1948.” The poll reported that an even higher proportion — one-third — lamented political divisions among Palestinians, calling the political split between Hamas and Fatah the most damaging development since the occupation began. The U.S. has already ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to move closer to the eastern Mediterranean. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has also announced the the U.S. is “surging” military support to Israel, including air defense capabilities and munitions. The statement by the five Western leaders stands in contrast with the reactions of Russia and China, which have not condemned Hamas. Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in his first public statement about the Israel-Hamas war, blamed the United States for the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Moscow Times quoted Putin as saying: “I think many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failure of U.S. policy in the Middle East,” Putin said at a Kremlin meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani. “[Washington] tried to monopolize regulating [the conflict], but was unfortunately unconcerned with finding compromises acceptable for both sides,” Putin added. “It put forward ideas on how it should be done and pressured both sides. Each time, however, without taking into account the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people.” Putin also urged both sides in the conflict to exercise restraint and reduce damage to civilians, according to the official Russian news agency TASS. “Our position is that the damage to the civilian population should be minimized and reduced to zero. And we call on all conflicting sides to do so," Putin said. Nikkei Asia wrote this about China’s initial neutral reaction to the Hamas attack on Israel: Beijing's official response to the Hamas attack on Saturday called for an "immediate cease-fire" and repeated its support for a two-state solution with an independent State of Palestine as a way out of the conflict. It did not condemn Hamas. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was leading a bipartisan Senate delegation in Beijing for talks on stabilizing U.S.-China relations, told Foreign Minister Wang Yi that he had been very disappointed by China’s failure to strongly condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel and show sympathy for Israel and its people, The Associated Press reported. Later in the day, Schumer said he was grateful for a strengthened statement from China condemning the killing and kidnaping of Israeli and foreign civilians. The AP reported: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said later Monday that China is “deeply saddened by the civilian casualties caused by the conflict between Palestine and Israel.” “China opposes and condemns acts that harm civilians,” along with actions that “expand conflict and undermine regional stability,” Mao said, going beyond an initial Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday. China hopes for a resumption of peace talks, the implementation of a two-state solution, and a “comprehensive and proper settlement of the Palestinian issue, which guarantees the legitimate concerns of all parties, through political means, as early as possible,” Mao said at a daily briefing. RELATED STORY: War Update: Israel, Ukraine, Russia, and Republicans [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/10/2198559/-Biden-Western-European-leaders-release-joint-statement-to-express-united-support-for-Israel?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/