Joe Biden was attacked over his Israel policy by Irish politician Clare Daly, who called the Democrat “butcher Biden” in a speech to the European Parliament.
Speaking in a plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday, Daley, who is a member of the left-wing Irish party Independents 4 Change, which is part of the European Parliament group The Left in the European Parliament- GUE/NGL, criticized the U.S. president for supporting Israel and authorizing airstrikes on positions held by Iran-backed Houthis inside Yemen last week.
On October 7, Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out a surprise attack in the south of Israel, killing roughly 1,200 people and taking hostages, and the overwhelming military response in Gaza has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians, according to the Associated Press. The conflict hasn’t just been limited to Israel and Gaza and the U.S. and its allies have carried out attacks on Houthi bases in Yemen after the Houthis targeted shipping in the Red Sea in response to the war in Gaza.
The U.S. has long been an ally of Israel and Biden has supported the country with aid and weaponry. He has also resisted calls for a ceasefire, amid a global outcry, but he has been toughening his approach to Israel. In December, he told a campaign fundraising event that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s government is “starting to lose support” and that changes needed to be made because of the mounting death toll in Gaza.
