John Kirby speaks with Fox News' Shannon Bream. (Fox News)
The question comes after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is Jewish, delivered a speech last week calling for Netanyahu’s ouster and labeling him an "obstacle to peace" as war rages in Israel and Gaza since October.
Along with Netanyahu, Schumer added that "Hamas and the Palestinians who support and tolerate their evil ways; the radical right-wing Israelis in government and society; [and] Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas" are the other obstacles preventing peace.
SCHUMER CALLS FOR NEW ISRAELI LEADER TO REPLACE NETANYAHU IN SENATE FLOOR SPEECH
President Biden said Senate Majority Leader Schumer "expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans." (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
"The president believes it's up to the Israeli people and the Israeli government to determine if and when there's going to be new elections. But he does, as he said shortly after Leader Schumer's very passionate speech, he recognizes that the leader was speaking for a lot of Americans who feel the same way about the way the war is going. We also have concerns about some of the operations and how they're being conducted. We need to make sure that civilians are protected and secure, that civilian casualties come down, that more trucks and assistance get in and, of course, we're still working on that temporary cease-fire to get all those hostages out," Kirby responded.
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Kirby’s remarks follow another interview last week on MSNBC, where host Andrea Mitchell repeatedly asked the White House official if Biden believes Netanyahu is an "obstacle to peace." Kirby dodged the question three times, which Mitchell pointed out on air before moving on with the interview.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv on Oct. 28. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)
"Let me just say that answer – that question was not answered three times. That's all right. That was your answer," Mitchell ultimately said.
NETANYAHU APPROVES RAFAH GROUND INVASION, DESPITE BIDEN OPPOSITION
Netanyahu responded to Schumer’s speech this weekend, calling it "inappropriate" and detailing that a potential election is up to Israel and its voters.
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"I think what he said is totally inappropriate. It's inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there," Netanyahu said in a CNN interview.
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