Nicholas Kamm/Associated Press
- Biden joked he would run over reporters asking about Israel while test-driving Ford's new truck.
- "No you can't. Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it … I'm only teasing," Biden said.
- Biden has faced criticism from fellow Democrats over his approach to recent violence in the Middle East.
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As President Joe Biden on Tuesday test drove Ford's new electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck, he joked that he would run over reporters asking questions about Israel.
"Mr. President, can I ask you a quick question on Israel before you drive away since it's so important?" a reporter asked.
"No you can't. Not unless you get in front of the car as I step on it … I'm only teasing," Biden said, with laughter heard in the background. Then he floored it and drove away, to the apparent delight of the reporters nearby.
-JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) May 18, 2021
Biden has faced an onslaught of criticism from fellow Democrats in Congress over his approach to recent violence in the Middle East, with Israel pummeling Gaza with airstrikes as Hamas fires thousands of rockets in its direction.
Congressional Democrats critical of Biden's Israel policy have urged the president to show more concern for Palestinian rights.
The Israeli government's airstrikes in Gaza have leveled residential buildings and killed dozens of civilians. Rights groups have accused both sides of potentially committing war crimes in the conflict.
But Biden has so far refused to explicitly criticize Israel or raise questions about human rights violations amid the Israeli military's offensive in Gaza. The president has offered steadfast support to Israel, touting its right to self-defense while bashing Hamas for firing rockets toward civilian areas.
The Biden administration also blocked efforts in the UN Security Council to release a statement calling for a ceasefire and condemning the violence in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz thanked the administration for its support in this regard.
"My sincere thanks to the U.S. Administration ... for rightly preventing the unjust U.N. Security Council statement criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza," Gantz said in a tweet on Monday.
Meanwhile, Biden has tiptoed around the issue of a ceasefire.
Amid escalating pressure from top Democrats and the international community, the White House on Monday said the president in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "expressed his support for a ceasefire."
This article will continue to be updated.