During a recent interview, President Joe Biden committed a geographical blunder by confusing the Israeli city of Haifa with the Palestinian town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The 81-year-old president made this error while being questioned by Nexstar Media's Reshad Hudson about his strategy to regain support from pro-Palestinian voters following the Israel-Hamas war.
Biden stated, "I've been meeting with them, number one. Number two, I made it clear that we have to vastly increase the amount of food, water, healthcare going into Gaza." He then added, "And I made it clear to Israelis – don't move on Haifa," seemingly intending to refer to Rafah instead.
In recent weeks, Rafah has emerged as the focal point of Israel's efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas and eliminate the terrorist group's presence in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that "no force in the world" will prevent the Israeli Defense Forces from advancing into Rafah, now the most populous town in the Gaza Strip, housing over 1 million Palestinians from the norther parts of the enclave.
Rafah is believed to be the base of operations for four of the remaining six Hamas battalions, while Haifa – Israel's third-largest city and a popular tourist destination – lies more than 100 miles to the north.
I think Israel should accommodate Biden's demand not to attack Haifa. But not Iran, Hamas or Hezbollah. https://t.co/o7Is3Ezafr
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) April 18, 2024
Biden's mistake drew ridicule from numerous social media users. Former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman quipped, "I think Israel should accommodate Biden's demand not to attack Haifa." Similarly, former New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind tweeted, "Think there's strong likelihood Israel refrains from hitting Haifa," describing the error as "seriously embarrassing."
Video: IDF shows fragments of missiles fired by Iran on Israel / x/@idf
Several users interpreted the gaffe as a sign of cognitive decline in the president, who is well-known for making frequent verbal slips. An ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted in February revealed that 86% of US adults believe Biden, the oldest president in US history, is too old for another term in office.
The White House, however, has maintained that Biden – who would be 86 years old at the end of a potential second term if re-elected – is not experiencing cognitive decline and "doesn't need" to undergo a test to prove it.
