US President Joe Biden stated that Hamas attacked Israel to hinder its efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
"One of the reasons why they acted the way they did, why Hamas moved against Israel, is because they knew I would sit with the Saudis. "Because the Saudis wanted to recognize Israel and that would actually unite the Middle East," Biden said Friday at a campaign fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Bloomberg.
Under Biden, the U.S. and the Saudis were working on a framework for the kingdom to recognize Israel in exchange for U.S. security guarantees. Publicly, administration officials tried to downplay talk of a breakthrough as the talks progressed, but Biden was keen on the initiative and in July sent national security adviser Jake Sullivan to the kingdom.
Israel has signed diplomatic agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan since 2020, but normalization with Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Middle East, would be a coup for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his country.
Those efforts are now in limbo after a deadly attack by Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, on October 7. The attack killed more than 1400 people and took over 200 hostages. Israel has responded with airstrikes in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, and is threatening a ground war to wipe out the group.
The Saudis have suspended their efforts to normalize ties with Israel, according to people familiar with the matter. The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described it as just a pause — not an end to diplomacy.
Biden's remarks come days after the president made a dramatic visit during the war to Israel for meetings with Netanyahu. The two embraced on the airport tarmac after Biden landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The president joked at the fundraiser about the sometimes tense relationship between the two leaders, telling a story about their first meeting, when Biden was still a senator.
Biden said he wrote on a photo of the two, "Bibi, I love you, but I don't agree with a damn thing you say."
Biden on Friday submitted to Congress a $106 billion emergency spending measure to strengthen the military of Israel and Ukraine, which includes $61.4 billion for one-year aid to Ukraine and $14.3 billion to help arm Israel.
The package is likely to face opposition in Congress, where ultraconservatives have resisted further support for Ukraine. And without a speaker, the House lacks the power to meet the funding request.
Biden, in a rare speech in the Oval Office on Thursday night, pleaded with lawmakers not to let the speaker's fight hinder efforts to protect democracy.
"We cannot allow petty partisan politics to hinder our responsibility as a great nation.,” he said.
In his remarks Friday, Biden again addressed the chaos in the House of Representatives, referring to Republican Representative Jim Jordan's failed attempt to secure the leadership after a third ballot. The race has been marred by death threats and intimidation.
"We must understand that violence in American politics is never, never, never, never acceptable.", said Biden.
Friday's fundraiser was held at the home of prominent donor Claire Lucas, a vice chair of national finance at the Democratic National Committee, and entrepreneur Judy Dlugacz. It raised $1.6 million, according to Biden's campaign team.
