In an article discussing the topic of the day – US President Joe Biden’s fitness to be president – White House aides and administration officials spoke to the New York Times about their interactions with the president in the last few weeks. Most agreed that Biden has moments of sharpness but also has increasing moments of confusion and disorientation.

In the article, entitled Biden’s Lapses Are Said to Be Increasingly Common and Worrisome, some White House officials rejected doubt about Biden’s ability to lead by providing the example of the night Iran attacked Israel, April 13, when he very forcefully ordered Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu not to carry out a large-scale retaliatory attack against Iran.

[It should be noted that the incident seems irrelevant as proof of Biden’s capabilities as many of the interviewees noted that Biden’s condition has worsened considerably in the past few months and even weeks.]

The officials said that Biden was in top form that night, monitoring the response to the missile and drone attack and asking relevant questions throughout the night.

After it was over, and almost all of the missiles and drones had been shot down, Biden called Netanyahu to persuade him not to escalate. “Take the win,” Mr. Biden told the prime minister, without reading from a script or extensive notes, according to two people in the room.

Aides present in the Situation Room that night t portrayed a president in commanding form, lecturing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone to avoid a retaliatory escalation that would have inflamed the Middle East. “Let me be crystal clear,” Mr. Biden said. “If you launch a big attack on Iran, you’re on your own.”

The officials noted that Netanyahu ultimately “opted for a much smaller and proportionate response that effectively ended the hostilities.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)