Former national security advisor John Bolton criticized President Joe Biden following the United Nations Security Council’s dismissal of a U.S.-backed resolution urging an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all Hamas-held hostages.
During a radio interview on The Cats Roundtable, hosted by John Catsimatidis and aired on Sunday, Bolton denounced the resolution as “very detrimental to Israel.”
Permanent Security Council members Russia and China, wielding veto power, opposed the resolution.
Bolton characterized the Biden administration’s proposal as “really, very detrimental to Israel and its efforts to defeat the Hamas terrorists,” emphasizing that China and Russia’s Friday veto was “such a slap in the face of the Biden administration.”
He further remarked that “Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping … they view Biden as weak and ineffective and that Biden can’t get out of his own way.”
Bolton asserted that the Security Council’s rejection highlighted the perception of U.S. weakness globally, predicting adverse consequences for the country.
He labeled the dismissal as “something almost unimaginable in the UN Security Council.”
The resolution endorsed by Biden marked a departure from previous U.S. policy, which had consistently blocked attempts to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to The Hill. It also demanded the release of hostages, with Hamas reportedly holding around 100 hostages in Gaza.
Bolton accused the Biden administration of shifting its stance without securing an agreement to exchange hostages, suggesting the proposal catered to European and Hamas interests.
He argued that Hamas seeks a cease-fire to alleviate pressure from Israel’s attacks on its underground tunnels.
Previously, the United States vetoed three resolutions in the Security Council that called for a cease-fire without including conditions such as the release of hostages, as noted by The Hill.
However, the Biden administration’s pivot signals a change in approach as humanitarian aid flows into Gaza, and international pressure mounts against Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
{Dov T. Heller}
