National Security Advisor John Kirby took a biased anti-Israel reporter to task during a press conference on Wednesday, using her own words against her as he passionately defended Israel’s right to attempt to obliterate Hamas.
“So, besides saying that he [Biden] doesn’t have confidence in these [Hamas’ civilian casualty] numbers, the President went further to say that innocents will die and that this is the price of the war. You also said that,” Globo News’ Raquel Krähenbühl began.
“I have indeed,” Kirby acknowledged.
“Don’t you think it is insensitive?” shot back Krähenbühl. “There being very harsh criticism about it. For example, the Council of American-Islamic Relations said it was deeply disturbed and called on the President to apologize. Would the President apologize?”
“No,” replied Kirby.
“And does he regret saying something like that?” the “reporter” followed up.
“What’s harsh, what’s harsh is the way Hamas is using people as human shields,” Kirby fired back. “What’s harsh is taking a couple of hundred hostages and leaving families anxious, waiting and worrying to figure out where their loved ones are. What’s harsh is dropping in on a music festival and slaughtering a bunch of young people just trying to enjoy an afternoon. I could go on and on. That’s what’s harsh. That is what’s harsh.
“And being honest about the fact that there have been civilian casualties and that there likely will be more is being honest, because that’s what war is, ” he continued.” It’s brutal. It’s ugly. It’s messy. I’ve said that before, the President also said that yesterday. Doesn’t mean we have to like it, and it doesn’t mean that we’re dismissing any one of those casualties. Each and every one is a tragedy in its own right and each and every one we should try to prevent.
“That is why we’re in close contact with our Israeli counterparts to do everything we can to help them minimize the risks to civilians that are in harm’s way. It would be helpful if Hamas would let them leave. Leave their homes, leave areas, not shelter in tunnels underneath their houses and in hospitals and let them get out, let them get out of Gaza if they want to leave. We know that there are thousands waiting to leave Gaza writ large and Hamas is preventing them from doing it. That is what is harsh.”
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