Top Obama aide hits Biden admin's support of Israel's war in Gaza as violation of international laws
Top Obama aide criticizes Biden's pro-Israel policies as 'selective' embrace of international laws
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ben Rhodes, a former deputy national security adviser to President Barack Obama, penned a guest essay in The New York Times criticizing the Biden administration’s support for Israel's right to self-defense against the terrorist group Hamas.
In an opinion piece, titled "Henry Kissinger, the Hypocrite," published after the German-born American diplomat, academic and presidential adviser, died at the age of 100 on Wednesday, Rhodes took the opportunity to bash the current presidential administration for its support of Israel in its fight against Hamas following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on the country.
Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security adviser for strategic communications for President Barack Obama, appears on "Meet the Press" in Washington, D.C., on June 3, 2018. (Getty Images)
"In Gaza, the United States has supported an Israeli military operation that has killed civilians at a pace that has once again suggested to much of the world that we are selective in our embrace of international laws and norms," Rhodes argued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"All of this cannot be laid on Henry Kissinger’s shoulders," he warned. "In many ways, he was as much a creation of the American national security state as its author. But his is also a cautionary tale."
Rhodes currently serves as a contributor for MSNBC and co-host of "Pod Save the World." He is known for his anti-Israel sentiments and has previously criticized the Biden administration's policies, as reported by The Federalist.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In an interview on the "Occupied Thoughts" podcast in 2021, Rhodes told anti-Zionist Peter Beinart that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policy toward Palestinians was to be "corrupt and cruel."
President Biden speaks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor)
He also criticized the Biden administration's pro-Israel approach, stating it felt like it was "in a defensive crouch." Rhodes said that "these issues are shaped and framed and defined from the right" and that "if you’re a mainstream Democrat, not only are you expected to take a set of positions, but you are expected to apologize for the people to your left."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The clash between Israel and Hamas has created a divide in the Democratic Party, with more traditional liberals in favor of Israel's right to self-defense, while the more progressive wing of the party has increasingly taken on a pro-Palestinian stance in calling for a cease-fire.