New York, Nov. 16, 2023 — The leadership of the American Jewish Congress, including Jack Rosen, President; Dr. Munr Kazmir, Vice President; Daniel Rosen, Vice Chair; Dr. Ben Chouake, Secretary; Michael Melnicke, Treasurer, released today the following statement:
“President Biden has shown incredible moral clarity on how Hamas has exploited Gaza’s largest hospital for military purposes. The president’s latest remarks are significant and offer much needed transparency at a moment when facts are ignored amid a rush by certain lobbies to hold Israel responsible for what essentially is a war launched and sustained by Hamas’ continued use of Gaza’s population as human shield.
Despite his busy and intense schedule with the President of China, President Biden deftly handled questions on Israel Defense Forces’ operations around Al-Shifa hospital. His clarity and attention to detail is remarkable and helps clear many misconceptions.
With great tact and diplomacy, the President of the United States answered probing questions on the Hamas command center under Al-Shifa hospital and on the intense American diplomacy on Israeli hostages. President Biden did so while avoiding divulging operational details that could jeopardize both American diplomacy and the Israeli retaliatory operations.
On Al-Shifa hospital, the president has unequivocally pointed to the war crime committed by Hamas by using a hospital for combat [“The first war crime is being committed by Hamas by having its headquarters under a hospital”].
The president is confident Hamas is operating a command center under Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. Behold this remarkable brief exchange between Mr. Biden and a member of the press on the Hamas command center beneath Al-Shifa, as released by the White House:
Q Can you just detail for us what kind of evidence the U.S. has seen that Hamas has a command center under Al-Shifa Hospital?
The President: No, I can’t tell you. I won’t tell you.
Q Do you feel absolutely confident based on what you know —
The President: Yes.
Israel has not stormed a hospital, the president confirmed, contradicting the impression created in corners of the media [“Israel did not go in with a large number of troops, did not raid, did not rush everything down.”]
Far from storming a hospital, soldiers of the IDF risked their lives, the president said, to get incubators and fuel delivered to the hospital [“They’re also bringing in incubators. They’re bringing in other — other means to help the people in the hospital, and they’ve given the doctors and — I’m told — the doctors and nurses and personnel an opportunity to get out of harm’s way.”]
On the calls for a ceasefire, the president said ceasing operations during a war is unrealistic and laid out the conditions for when the war in Gaza can end: “I think it’s going to stop when Hamas no longer maintains the capacity to murder and abuse and just do horrific things to the Israelis.”
The president laid out Israel’s case before the American and international public opinion. Should Israel stand down when Hamas promises to repeat the tragedy of Oct. 7, 2023? Or, in the president’s own words: “Hamas said they plan on attacking the Israelis again. And this is a terrible dilemma. So, what do you do?”
We at the American Jewish Congress recognize the moral high ground our President has taken in defending Israel’s legitimate actions while pushing back against the disinformation from Hamas, a group that is not accountable to any law or moral standard while Israel – as a state and military – responds to international scrutiny into this war and answers every question on its conduct.
While clearing the misconceptions around Israel’s role at the Al-Shifa hospital, the president exercised restraint on revealing sensitive information while ensuring the world understands the reality on the ground.
“I have been deeply involved in moving on the hostage negotiation, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. We’ve gotten great cooperation from the Qataris,” said the president before pausing to avoid revealing confidential information, “I’m getting into too much detail. I know, Mr. Secretary. I’m going to stop,” he said, before adding, “I am mildly hopeful. I’m mildly hopeful.”
Thank you, Mr. President. Your actions today provide much needed support to Jewish Americans and to Israel in its hour of trial and will help ensure justice not only for what Hamas did to Israeli civilians but also for the terror group’s criminal act of pushing Gazans into war.”
