US President Joe Biden told an interviewer that he’d warned the Israeli government against attacking itself, in what appears to be the aging leader’s latest gaffe, and one that has again raised concerns over his mental state.
Speaking with Nexstar Media’s Reshad Hudson in an interview published on Wednesday, the 81-year-old president detailed his plans to win back pro-Palestinian voters, despite his ongoing support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas.
Biden claimed that, aside from meeting with pro-Palestinian activists, he had also “made it clear to the Israelis: don’t move on Haifa,” a renowned port city in northern Israel.
The president then appeared to lose his train of thought, before going on to speak about the weekend’s Iranian attack.
Rather than warning Israel against attacking its own city, the US President apparently meant to refer to Rafah, a Palestinian city in Southern Gaza, which has become the last refuge for displaced civilians in the besieged enclave.
In recent weeks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has reportedly deployed extra artillery and armored vehicles near the Gazan city, in preparation for a large-scale ground offensive.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also vowed that “no force in the world” would be able to prevent the IDF from advancing into Rafah, which accommodates over a million Palestinians and which West Jerusalem says is an operating base for Hamas militants.
Biden’s latest gaffe has been met with widespread mockery online, with many calling it “seriously embarrassing.” Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman jokingly suggested that “Israel should accommodate Biden’s demand not to attack Haifa,” while former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind claimed that “there’s a strong likelihood Israel refrains from hitting Haifa.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram that the US president should also forbid himself from participating in the 2024 elections.
“It would be funny, if this man was not directing billions of dollars and colossal amounts of weapons to wars around the world,” Zakharova wrote.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in February revealed that as many as 86% of American voters believe Biden to be too old to serve as the country’s president, and have expressed concerns over his cognitive state. Just over 60% of voters also shared similar concerns over Biden’s main rival, former president Donald Trump. The two are set to face off in the presidential election on November 5.