(Daily Mail) President Joe Biden was forced to correct himself after saying a maimed US citizen still being held by Hamas is ‘here with us today’ at a White House event on Monday.
The 81-year-old president said we have ‘freed hostages already’ before suggesting Hersh Goldberg-Polin was in the crowd in a gaffe.
Goldberg-Polin, 23, is one of the five Americans being held captive by the terror group in Gaza after he was kidnapped from Southern Israel during the October 7 attack.
He had one of his hands amputated in captivity and was last month featured in a Hamas propaganda video.
A moment after the stumble, Biden fixed his error and said: ‘He is not here with us. But he is still being held by Hamas’.
Goldberg-Polin’s parents were at the White House to watch the speech where Biden said Israel is not committing genocide.
President Joe Biden was forced to correct himself after saying a maimed US citizen still being held by Hamas is ‘here with us today’ at a White House event on Monday
Goldberg-Polin, 23, is one of the five Americans being held captive by the terror group in Gaza after he was kidnapped from Southern Israel during the October 7 attack. He featured in a propaganda video last month with an amputated left hand
His comments came after the International Criminal Court put out arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
The White House condemned the ‘outrageous’ move masterminded by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.
Biden also slammed the ICC’s decision with his remarks at the event on Monday night.
‘What is happening is not genocide. We reject that,’ Biden told the crowd.
Among those cheering him on were son Hunter and his wife Melissa Cohen, who is Jewish.
In his remarks, Biden talked about his ‘iron clad’ commitment to the Jewish state and his people. And he praised the Jewish people’s contributions to the arts, science and culture.
Golderberg-Polin was last seen in a proof-of-life video at the end of April. He was kidnapped during the Nova dance festival, where Hamas paragliders were seen swooping in on attendees.
Horrifying footage then emerged of him being bundled into a truck by the militants.
The Israeli-American, seen missing his left hand and part of his arm in the propaganda video, begins by identifying himself, before saying: ‘I was arrested on October 7 at the Nova Festival in Rei’m. I went out seeking entertainment with my friends.
‘Instead, I found myself struggling to survive with serious injuries all over my body.
‘Nevertheless, I took it upon myself to protect myself and the people who were afraid around me because there was no one to protect us that day.
He then blames Netanyahu and his government’s decision not to rescue the hostages, saying: ‘Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, [you] should be ashamed of yourselves because you neglected us along with thousands of other citizens.
Biden’s remarks came on the same day British prosecutor Karim Khan said he is seeking warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders. The ICC charges the leaders with charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to the Oct. 7 attack and the war in Gaza.
‘Whatever these warrants may imply, there is no similarities between Israel and Hamas,’ he said.
His speech was an echo on his statement earlier Monday where he called the arrest warrants ‘outrageous.’
‘The ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. And let me be clear: whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,’ the president said in a statement.
Goldberg-Polin was at the Nova Festival in Rei’m when he was taken hostage on October 7
