Fabricated Translation: Biden Did Not Acknowledge His Country’s Breach of Ethics in Gaza War
The Claim
Joe Biden said, we have violated all accepted ethics and universally recognized principles. I sincerely worry that by aligning ourselves with a group that has become detested by all nations, we are ruining our country
News posted on
Emerging story
Pages and accounts on social media are currently circulating a video of the U.S. President Joe Biden, accompanied by a translation that claims he said, “Due to an attempt to defeat Hamas and occupy a small territory, we have violated all accepted ethics and universally recognized principles. I sincerely worry that by aligning ourselves with a group that has become detested by all nations, we are ruining our country (the United States).”
Biden adds, according to the translation, “After Israel struck Al-Shifa Hospital, then claimed there was a tunnel. We are now lying on behalf of them and we know that the world is aware that we are lying. I believe that it is time to recognize a Palestinian state because our reputation has truly become at stake. If you still believe you can coexist peacefully beside them, I do not think it is possible. This nonsense and instability caused by Hamas are no longer tolerable, but we are unable to discuss human rights with them or dictate our values to them after these massacres. We've already collapsed. Peoples now call us child killers. The Criminal Court has targeted me too on charges of incitement to genocide, yes, this happened.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating claim and found it to be misleading, as the translation is fabricated. The original video is taken from Al Jazeera and includes excerpts from U.S. President Joe Biden’s responses to questions posed by journalists during a press conference held in California on November 15.
What Did Joe Biden Say in the Video?
Misbar returned to the White House website, and examined the Q&A section, and found that what the U.S. President, Joe Biden, said in the excerpts published by Al Jazeera was, “Look, I made it clear to the Israelis that - and to Bibi and to his war cabinet that I think the only ultimate answer here is a two-state solution that is real. We got to get to the point where there is an ability to be able to even talk without worrying about whether or not we are just dealing with - they are dealing with Hamas - that is going to engage in the same activities they did over the past - on October 7.”
“I made it clear to the Israelis I think it is a big mistake to - for them to think they are going to occupy Gaza and maintain Gaza. I do not think that works,” he added.
Moreover, Biden said, “With regard to when is this going to stop, I think it is going to stop when the - when Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder and abuse and - and just do horrific things to the Israelis. And they are in - and they still think they - at least as of this morning, they still thought they could.”
Biden explained, “Here is the situation: You have a circumstance where the first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having their headquarters, their military hidden under a hospital. And that is a fact. That is what has happened.”
He also said, “Hamas said they plan on doing the same thing again - what - what they did - what they did on the October 7. They are going to go in - they want to slaughter Israelis. They want to do it again. And they have said it out loud. They are not even kidding about it. They are not backing off. And so, I just asked the rhetorical question, I wonder what we would do if that were the case?”
“Five to six times a day, I’m working on how I can be helpful in getting the hostages released and have a period of time where there’s a pause long enough to let that happen,” he noted.
Tensions Rise: Strained Relationship Between Joe Biden and Netanyahu Unfolds
On November 19, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing American and European officials, that U.S. President Joe Biden is facing difficulty in convincing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take steps to prevent the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. This has led to a strain in the relationship between the two allied parties.
The article points out that despite Netanyahu responding to some Washington pressures, there is still concern about what Israel plans to do in Gaza, including any form of extensive occupation, in addition to the numbers of Palestinian casualties. The article goes on to add that the extent and scale of violence in Gaza have prompted the U.S. administration to reconsider its initial unconditional support for Israel.
Washington fears that the continued flow of scenes depicting the bodies of women and children may overshadow efforts to eliminate Hamas. However, with one year away from the U.S. presidential elections, it remains unclear whether the U.S.'s support for Israel will affect the unity of the ruling Democratic Party, particularly considering that the alternative is Donald Trump and the Republican Party, which also supports Israel.
Read More
Pedro Sánchez Did Not Announce Recognition of the Palestinian State, but Pledged Action
