On Tuesday, the Israeli television reporter whose questions about a possible hostage deal to President Biden sparked an awkward rebuke opened up about the now-talked-about exchange in an interview with the Post.
Nelia Kraus, anchorwoman and U.S. correspondent for Israel 13 News, said the lame-duck president's response was a sign of a lack of support for a long-awaited deal to free the 101 hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. He said it shows the president recognizes that time is running out.
Mr. Kraus, 30, was in the Oval Office with other journalists and photographers as Mr. Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog fielded questions. She asked, “President Biden, do you think you can accomplish a hostage deal by the end of your term?”
In Klaus’ video — Posted in X — Frustrated Biden said, “Do you think you can avoid getting shot in the head by the camera behind you?”
Mr. Kraus told the Post on Tuesday night that Mr. Biden's brief return shows that “we can't say unequivocally 'yes' because of political realities.”
That political reality includes not only Biden's abrupt withdrawal from the 2024 race, but also Kamala Harris' surprising loss to former President Donald Trump.
Jewish voters have left the Democratic Party in large numbers this year, as have Muslim Americans, reducing support for Harris to a fraction of what Biden raised from the bloc four years ago.
And less than 70 days later, President Trump appointed pro-Israel Ambassador Mike Huckabee to represent the United States in Jerusalem, along with another ardent supporter, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida). do. Jewish state. Both appointments, if confirmed, would change the face of talks between the current and future leaders of the United States and Israel.
All of this may have weighed heavily on Biden when he fired back at a previously kind young journalist, Kraus said.
“We can see that President Biden is committed to freeing the hostages. He has accomplished a lot and was very close to getting there a few months ago,” the journalist said.
But she admitted it was “almost” impossible to bring back the hostages.
“It's been over a year, over 400 days, and I've read online that some people think it's time to stop talking about this,” Kraus said. “For me, this is not an option. I will continue to hear about the hostages over and over again until they are all brought home.”
She said: “Hamas continues to brutally hold 101 hostages in Gaza, and people are being taken from their homes and beds, some of them Americans.”
Kraus said he praised his Israeli viewers and colleagues for raising the issue ahead of Biden. Each group said, “This question was very important, so [me] “About what happened in the Oval Office,” she said.
“But the most important comments came from the families of the hostages, who wanted to talk and want more details,” Kraus said.
The newspaper reached out to the White House for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
