Bolton Criticizes Biden Over Cease Fire Resolution, Calling It ‘Harmful to Israel’

Former national security adviser John Bolton criticized President Joe Biden following the United Nations Security Council’s rejection of a U.S.-backed resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.

In a radio interview on The Cats Roundtable, hosted by John Catsimatidis and aired on Sunday, Bolton described the resolution as “very detrimental to Israel.”

Permanent members Russia and China, armed with veto power, voted against the resolution.

“The Biden administration had proposed a resolution, which was really very detrimental to Israel and its efforts to defeat the Hamas terrorists,” Bolton stated, emphasizing the Friday veto by China and Russia as “such a slap in the face of the Biden administration.”

“It shows that [Russia President] Vladimir Putin and [China leader] Xi Jinping … they view Biden as weak and ineffective and that Biden can’t get out of his own way,” he added.

“That incident in the Security Council demonstrates how weak the U.S. is perceived globally,” Bolton argued, adding: “The country will suffer as a result.”

Bolton called the rejection “something almost unimaginable in the UN Security Council.”

The U.S.-backed resolution marked a departure for the United States, which had previously vetoed any attempts to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, as noted by The Hill. The resolution also called for the release of hostages, with Hamas believed to be holding around 100 hostages still alive in Gaza.

Bolton criticized the Biden administration’s shift, stating it is not tied to an agreement to exchange the hostages to give Israel what it wants, and referred to the proposal as “what the Europeans wanted, it’s what Hamas wanted.”

He also argued that Hamas seeks a cease-fire to receive “the same relief from Israel’s attack on their underground tunnels.”

Notably, the United States had vetoed three previous resolutions before the Security Council that called for a cease-fire without any conditions, such as the release of hostages, as pointed out by The Hill.

However, the new stance suggests the Biden administration has changed course, with more humanitarian aid being delivered to civilians in Gaza and pressure mounting against Israel’s ongoing military operations.

Over 31,000 individuals in Gaza have been reported killed in the conflict, and the U.N. warns of famine in the northern part of the territory.