On Friday evening, President Joe Biden gave a joint press conference with H.E. Moon Jae-in, the President of the Republic of Korea. When it came time for questions, Mary Alice Parks asked President Biden about the "shift" from his party when it comes to standing beside Israel. Instead of taking the opportunity to send a message to Democrats who do not stick up for our ally, the president didn't even acknowledge the shift.
Pressed on some Democrats' shift in lock-step support of Israel, Pres. Joe Biden tells @maryaliceparks "there is no shift in my commitment to the security of Israel, period."
— ABC News (@ABC) May 21, 2021
"The shift is that we still need a two state solution, it is the only answer." https://t.co/4gNRIqR7yH pic.twitter.com/8qAvj4qDQ8
"What is your message to Democrats who want you to be more confrontational with Israel? And specifically to those that are saying that there should be an end to arm sales? I mean, do you recognize that there has been a shift, an evolution in your party, Mr. President, in the last 20 years on this issue?" Parks asked.
The president very much gave a typical answer from a politician who wishes to deflect.
"There is no shift in my commitment or commitment to the security of Israel, period. No shift, not at all," he began his answer, before calling for a two-state solution, as "where there is a shift in," which he emphasized is "the only answer." His answer closed with a claim that "my party still supports Israel. Let's get something straight here. Until the region says unequivocally they acknowledge the right of Israel to exist as an independent Jewish state, there will be no peace."
Did you see the part where he denied there's a "shift" though??
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) May 21, 2021
That may not only be true of the region but to many members of the Democratic Party.
If you were to take a look at "the squad" members' social media accounts, you might be fooled into thinking it was the social media account for Hamas. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), in particular, keep getting called out for their remarks, though that does not appear to deter them.
While speaking with Fox News' Harris Faulkner on Friday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke of "Democrat members of Congress acting as the press secretaries for Hamas terrorists."
I never thought we would see this: Democrat members of Congress acting as the press secretaries for Hamas terrorists. pic.twitter.com/g4QlfZyWhk
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 21, 2021
Katie took note of remarks from Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) during a Thursday press conference. "The president should not be listening to musings of our House colleagues who are effectively in the Hamas squad," Rep. Roy said at one point.
"We should encourage the killing of terrorists, not negotiating with them."
— Rep. Chip Roy Press Office (@RepChipRoy) May 20, 2021
Rep. Roy's remarks from today's #StandWithIsrael press conference: pic.twitter.com/ZBx4BPy3pT
As Reagan also reported last week, the lack of support from Democrats did not go unnoticed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
President Biden also spoke of the recently negotiated cease-fire as if it was something he brought about. During his exchange with Parks, he initially misspoke in saying that "I was able to negotiate" before correcting himself with an "excuse me, before the cease-fire was negotiated."
Even still, he spoke throughout the press conference as if he had a direct role in the negotiations. It looks as if Biden's attempts to take credit on Thursday, as Leah reported on, was not just a one-time thing, then.
H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, and I just finished our bilateral meeting at the White House. Tune in for our joint press conference. https://t.co/wEu0SUbWaW
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 21, 2021
Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled Mary Alice Park's name as Mary Alice Parker.