President Biden compares Hamas attack to ‘fifteen 9-11s’

President Joe Biden warned Israel not to be consumed by anger even as he vowed the US would stand with Israelis and their demands for justice after a carnage equivalent to 15 attacks on September 11. He delivered an angry speech at the end of a day in Tel Aviv meeting Israeli leaders and victims of the Hamas terror attack.

“We’ve seen it described as Israel’s September 11th,” Biden said. “For a country as big as Israel, it was like the fifteenth of September 11. The scale may be different, but I am sure that these horrors have sown some kind of primal feeling in Israel, just as it has in America: shock pain, anger… .an all-consuming rage.’ The words were part of the main message of the day: Biden’s pledge to support Israel after 1,300 people were killed by Hamas gunmen.

However, his trip was overshadowed by a blame game over who was responsible for an explosion that killed 500 people at a Gaza hospital. The fallout resulted in the abandonment of plans for a summit of Arab leaders in Jordan, undermining some of the objectives of Biden’s trip. Instead, he used his speech in Tel Aviv to reiterate US support for an eventual Palestinian state and announce $100 million in aid for Gaza and the West Bank.

He also warned Israel not to let anger guide its response. “You cannot look at what happened here to mothers and fathers, grandparents, sons, daughters, children and even babies without crying out for justice,” he said. ‘Justice must be done. But I caution this: While you feel that anger, don’t let it consume you. After September 11, we were outraged in the United States. While we sought and received justice, we also made mistakes.”

His words reflected a delicate balancing act. While he has expressed full support for Israel as the country prepares for a ground invasion of Gaza, U.S. officials know the rising number of civilian casualties would play into the hands of groups like Hamas and their Iranian sponsors who want to fuel a broader conflict. But he pledged to keep Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system fully supplied.

“My government has been in close contact with your leadership from the first moments of this attack. We are going to make sure you get what you need to protect your people and your nation,” he said. ‘For decades. we have secured Israel’s qualitative military edge and later this week I will ask the US Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense.”

He came at a time of great tension in the Middle East. Israel has been on a war footing since thousands of Hamas gunmen poured out of Gaza and launched a wave of killings on October 7. The country has continued a steady bombardment of Gaza as it prepares for a likely ground invasion. But protests against Israeli actions have increased as the death toll has risen.

They exploded on Tuesday evening when a blast ripped through al-Ahli hospital, killing around 500 people. Protesters outside the US embassy had to be repulsed with tear gas. Israel insists the explosion was caused by a misfired rocket launched by Islamic Jihad. Biden said he had seen data supporting Israeli claims of innocence.

At the same time, Iran’s proxy militia Hezbollah has continued rocket fire along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon — a reminder of how regional players can try to spark a broader war. Biden’s mission was to stand with Israel while trying to deter outside actors from escalating tensions and easing hardship in Gaza.

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