(Corine Gatti, Headline USA) President Joe Biden appeared to be nodding off during his Tuesday White House meeting with Israel President Isaac Herzog.
Biden began the meeting with a clumsy moment when he told Herzog he couldn’t recall “two-thirds” of the past 75 years since Israel’s establishment, Townhall reported.
As Biden began speaking, it became evident that he was relying heavily on prepared notes, glancing down at his lap time and again. There was little eye contact between the two leaders.
“We brought Israelis and Palestinians together at a political level, and uh and at the uh, and uh …” Biden said, his voice becoming increasingly unintelligible as he continued to speak.
Herzog turned to the cameras in front of him, appearing uneasy while trying to figure out if Biden was still awake or talking in his sleep.
Biden faced criticism before the meeting for snubbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and inviting Herzog instead, sparking backlash from Republicans.
Republican presidential candidates took the opportunity to slam Biden for his diplomatic foibles.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vigorously criticized the Biden administration for their disrespectful treatment towards Netanyahu, considering it a disgraceful act toward a valued ally.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said during a speech Monday to the Christians United for Israel summit that Biden’s lack of leadership made the longtime U.S. ally more vulnerable to its enemies in the Middle East.
“Joe Biden has weakened America and failed to stand by Israel,” Haley said.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she continued. “And we can’t afford four more years of weakness—or even a year and a half.”
Biden suggested Netanyahu’s policies—such as limiting government oversight and expanding settlements in the West Bank—were extreme in an interview with CNN last week.
He also referred to members of Netanyahu’s cabinet as being amongst the most radical he had encountered.
Biden’s remarks came shortly before Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., condemned Israel as a “racist state” on Saturday. The congresswoman received bipartisan criticism for her initial comments. House Democratic leadership and 43 of her Democratic colleagues expressed their deep concerns and labeled her remarks as unacceptable.
