US President Joe Biden has made a “strategic mistake” by “bear-hugging” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the current war on Gaza, according to a prominent progressive Democrat and Biden campaign surrogate Ro Khanna.

“The bear-hugging of Netanyahu has been a strategic mistake,” Khanna added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he criticized the Israeli President for conducting "a callous war" in Gaza, despite his claims of opposition from the United States.

However, his criticisms of Biden's errors might not be well-received at the White House.

Liz Landers, guest hosting on the One Decision podcast, questioned Khanna about his recent visit to Michigan, where he engaged with leaders of the state's sizable Arab American community.

“What did they tell you about the Biden administration’s policy with Israel?” Landers questioned.

“They were opposed,” Khanna said, stressing, ".........but the bear-hugging of Netanyahu has been a strategic mistake. Netanyahu has conducted a callous war in defiance of the United States"

“I did not support a ceasefire for the first six weeks. I thought [Israel] would go and get the people responsible [for the 7 October attacks]. But they started bombing refugee camps, bombing hospitals, defying the United States, and not letting aid in,” he stated.

Related News

Iran: Indirect talks with US to resume Sunday, Oman to host

US will pay the price for Trump’s universities attacks: The Times

'Act as an equal if you are not begging for weapons'

Khanna suggested that Biden should establish "clear consequences for Netanyahu" if "Israel" does not alter its course.

"And that means if [Netanyahu] defies the United States, not allowing aid, or going into Rafah” – which Biden has emphasized that such an outcome must be avoided, while Netanyahu has indicated that it will occur – “[then] no more weapons transfers … unconditionally."

"It means not protecting [Netanyahu] from the entire international community at the United Nations, it means recognizing a Palestinian state. And those are the things I think some of the Arab American community want," he explicitly said.

Furthermore, Khanna emphasized that "Israel" is not equal to the United States in terms of power, as the US is the foremost superpower globally. He also stressed the importance of Netanyahu showing deference to the American president, whoever holds that position, and criticized Netanyahu's perceived arrogance in acting as if he stands on equal footing with the American president, a sentiment likely to generate disapproval.

"......We certainly shouldn’t be giving Netanyahu the offensive weapons to go kill more people in Gaza when he’s acting in defiance to the president of the United States," he said.

“You can act as an equal if you’re not begging for weapons at the same time,” he stressed.

Biden's discontent expands beyond Arab community

Biden's approach to "Israel" has reverberated within domestic politics, with protest votes during Democratic primaries serving as a cautionary signal for the upcoming presidential election. Landers inquired whether Biden's chances of re-election against Donald Trump could be jeopardized by such protests, exemplified by approximately 100,000 votes cast as "uncommitted" in Michigan.
 
Khanna said, “I think the president’s gonna win. I mean, he won Michigan [by] almost 150,000 votes.” 
 
However, he noted that discontent with Biden was expanding, likely extending beyond just the Muslim or Arab American community to encompass more young people, voters of color, and the broader Democratic coalition. 

“I still believe the president will win, but this should be a warning sign that large parts of our base are unhappy,” Khanna said.

“My hope is that the president, I believe, has changed tone and changed course. He’s now using the word ‘ceasefire’. He’s saying that weapons will not be indefinitely transferred to Netanyahu. So I hope this pressure will work on getting a ceasefire," he concluded.

Read next: US could approve Israeli sought-after Rafah offensive