On Tuesday, President Biden confused the Israeli port city of Haifa with the last safe haven for civilians in the Gaza Strip, Rafah.
The 81-year-old president made the gaffe when asked in an interview about his plan to win back favor with pro-Palestinian voters amid Israel’s war against Hamas.
“First, I met with them,” Biden said. “Second, I made it clear that we must significantly increase the amount of food, water and medical services coming into Gaza.”
“And I made it clear to the Israelis – don’t move towards Haifa,” he added, apparently referring to Rafah.
Biden then fell silent, seemingly losing the thread of the conversation and not wanting to pursue the topic.
“It’s just not true… I mean, anyway…” the commander-in-chief continued.
BIDEN: “I made it clear to the Israelis — don’t move on Haifa!”
Haifa is a major city *IN* Israel. pic.twitter.com/BdNgoDlGkM
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 18, 2024
In recent weeks, Rafah has become the centerpiece of Israel’s efforts to free hostages held by Hamas and rid the Gaza Strip of members of the terrorist group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “no force in the world” would stop the Israel Defense Forces’ advance into Rafah, which has become Gaza’s most populous city and shelters more than 1 million Palestinian refugees.
Rafah is believed to be home to four of Hamas’ six remaining battalions.
Haifa, Israel’s third largest city and a popular tourist destination, is more than 100 miles north of Rafah.
Previously, Cursor wrote that Gottlieb criticized the government: They succumbed to Biden’s dictates.
