LARRY KUDLOW: Biden is essentially ordering Israel to negotiate with Hamas

President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. And, frankly, from the readout we received, you’d never know that Israel is America’s greatest ally, or exactly which side of the Hamas war Biden is on. 

An incredibly bad call. Mr. Biden emphasized over and over the humanitarian situation, and lectured Netanyahu about the need for specific concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. 

At this point, I’d say, what about the safety of Israel? What about the fact that Hamas and its grandmaster Iran want to destroy Israel? And, for that matter, America? 

Israel is literally fighting an existential war for its very existence. And then Biden goes on to say, and I’m quoting here directly, that “U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by his assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.” 

This is like a schoolmarm lecturing a little kid. To put it mildly, this is incredibly disrespectful to the state of Israel and its longtime prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. 

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Of course, Biden, along with Jewish Senator Chuck Schumer, have already interfered with Israeli politics, calling for new elections and regime change. That by itself was disrespectful to the tenth power. And now, Biden is essentially ordering Israel to negotiate with Hamas. 

But, as Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat told me in our interview today — “How do you negotiate with somebody who wants to kill you?” 

Have we forgotten last October 7th? That Hamas horrifically slaughtered 1,200 people, including Israelis, Americans, and Europeans? One of the worst massacres in history. Have we forgotten the fundamental evil of Hamas? Chopping off heads, killing the elderly, raping children. 

Have we forgotten this? Has Joe Biden forgotten this? One reality overlooked by the White House is that Israel has overseen food deliveries to Gaza that are running about 80% above pre-war levels. 

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Another thing is that reports of civilian casualties, or deaths, are being inflated by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, and are completely wrong. And Israel has taken unbelievably careful actions to avoid civilian casualties. 

And haven’t we learned that what should be done here is the complete annihilation of Hamas, and the de-Hamasification? In the American Civil War, remember, General U.S. Grant insisted on unconditional surrender. In World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt insisted on unconditional surrender and the complete de-Nazification of Germany. 

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This. This is what the Biden White House should be calling for right now. Let Israel be Israel. They must finish the job in south Gaza and Rafah. It is Hamas who should be wiped off the face of the Earth.

This article is adapted from Larry Kudlow’s opening commentary on the April 4, 2024, edition of “Kudlow.”