>>> ISRAELI OFFICIALS HAVE RESPONDED TO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S WARNING AGAINST A FULL-SCALE INVASION OF RAFAH FOR WHICH THE U.S. SAYS WILL NOT PROVIDE WEAPONS. SPEAKING TO AN ISRAELI NEWS CHANNEL, ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS DEEMED THE DECISION FRUSTRATING AND SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS THE RESULT OF DOMESTIC PRESSURE. ON SOCIAL MEDIA ISRAEL'S FOREIGN MINISTER VOWED TO CONTINUE FIGHTING HAMAS UNTIL IT'S DESTROYED, ADDING THERE'S NO MORE JUST WAR THAN THIS. HOWEVER, CERTAIN MEMBERS OF ISRAEL'S GOVERNMENT REACTED WITH MUCH HARSHER CRITICISM. ISRAEL'S MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY POSTED THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, A TWEET THAT READS HAMAS HEART BIDEN. HIS OFFICE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO REQUEST FROM FURTHER COMMENT FROM NBC NEWS. ON "X" ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER SUGGESTED THE PRESIDENT HAS SET IN PLACE AN ARMS EMBARGO WHILE VOWING TO ACHIEVE COMPLETE VICTORY. SPEAKING WITH DR. PHIL NETANYAHU HAD THIS TO SAY ABOUT BIDEN'S STANCE. >> I'VE KNOWN JOE BIDEN FOR MANY YEARS, 40 YEARS OR MORE. WE'VE OFTEN HAD OUR AGREEMENTS BUT WE'VE HAD DISAGREEMENTS BUT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO OVERCOME THEM. I HOPE WE CAN OVERCOME THEM NOW, BUT WE WILL DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY, AND THAT MEANS TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE, AND THAT MEANS WE'LL DEFEAT HAMAS INCLUDING IN RAFAH. WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. I THINK LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE, RATIONAL MINDED PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, BUT THERE'S STRONG OPPOSITION. I'VE SAID IN THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL SERVICE WE HAD THE OTHER DAY, I HAD IT IN THE HOLOCAUST WE STOOD ALONE, BUT WE WERE DEFENSELESS. AND TODAY IF ISRAEL HAS TO STAND ALONE, WE'LL STAND ALONE. BUT WE ALSO KNOW WE'RE NOT ALONE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY DECENT PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WHO DO SUPPORT US, WHO DO UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH. AND WE WILL DEFEAT OUR ENEMIES, AND WE WILL SECURE OUR FUTURE. >> JOINING US NOW DANNY, A MEMBER OF ISRAEL'S PARLIAMENT AND FORMER ISRAELI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS. MR. AMBASSADOR, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. PRESIDENT BIDEN THIS WEEK STRESSED THE U.S. WOULD CONTINUE TO SEND DEFENSIVE WEAPONS TO ISRAEL TO REPLENISH THE IRON DOME AND THE LIKE, BUT HE'S DRAWING THE LINE ABOUT GIVING WEAPONS WE USE FOR A FULL-SCALE INVASION OF RAFAH. LET'S GET YOUR OWN REACTION TO THAT. >> JONATHAN, GOOD MORNING. FIRTH, WE ARE DISAPPOINTED. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TOUGH WAR. WE'RE BEING ATTACKED ON MANY FRONTS FROM THE NORTH, IN THE EAST, AND IN THE SOUTH WE'RE FIGHTING HAMAS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. AND WE EXPECT OUR ALLY TO STAND WITH US WHEN WE'RE IN A WAR. YES, WE'RE DISAPPOINTED. WE STILL RESPECT THE PRESIDENT, WE RESPECT THE FRIENDSHIP WITH THE U.S., WE'LL CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN D.C., BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. WE CANNOT ALLOW TO STOP THE WAR NOW. WE'RE A LITTLE CONFUSED ALSO BECAUSE PRESIDENT BIDEN SAY MANY TIMES THAT ISRAEL SHOULD FINISH THE JOB AND ELIMINATE HAMAS. SO HOW CAN WE DO THAT WITH OUR HANDS TIED BEHIND OUR BACK? WE CANNOT WIN THE WAR WITHOUT GOING INTO RAFAH, WITHOUT FACING THE HAMAS BATTALION. >> THE U.S. HAS SAID THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE RAFAH OPERATION IS THAT ISRAEL -- IT WAS SAYING ISRAEL HAS NOT PROVIDED ANY SORT OF PLAN TO PROVIDE SAFETY FOR THE CIVILIANS THERE. IS THERE SUCH A PLAN, AND WHAT IS IT? >> ABSOLUTELY, AND THAT'S OF COURSE ASSUMPTION BECAUSE LOOK AT THE TIME LINE. WE HAVE BEEN IN GAZA FOR SEVEN MONTHS. ONE OF THE REASONS IT'S TAKING SO LONG BECAUSE WE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS AND BEFORE WE OPERATE WE ALLOW THE OPERATION TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. WE HAVE SHOWN TO OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE U.S. VERY SPECIFIC PLANS TO ALLOW THE POPULATION IN RAFAH TO MOVE TO OTHER AREAS AND WE'RE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THEM WITH THE NGOs, AND WE WILL DO THAT BEFORE WE WILL ATTACK RAFAH. AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST FEW DAYS THE U.S. CHANGED THE TONE. IF YOU LOOK BACK PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS SAID WE WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO DO IN RAFAH, WE'RE NOT AGAINST THE OPERATION IN RAFAH. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I THINK BECAUSE OF MAYBE DOMESTIC ISSUES THE LANGUAGE CHANGED, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HEAR DON'T GO INTO RAFAH. >> SO ON THAT NOTE, LEAD NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR JOHN KIRBY TOLD REPORTERS YESTERDAY IN A BRIEFING THAT THE ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT A MAJOR RAFAH GROUND OPERATION WOULD ACTUALLY STRENGTHEN HAMAS' POSITION AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE AND NOT ISRAEL'S. WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT? >> I BEG TO DIFFER ABOUT THAT. YOU KNOW, LOOK WHAT WE ARE FACING NOW. WE ARE MORE THAN 130 HOSTAGES. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF THEM ARE ALIVE INCLUDING FIVE AMERICANS. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THEM AS WE SPEAK. WE CANNOT WAIT IDLY BY AND EXPECT HAMAS TO RELEASE THEMNO . WE HAVE TO USE MILITARY FORCE IN ORDER TO ERADICATE HAMAS AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES. THE FACT THAT THEY ARE NOT TELLING US WHO IS ALIVE AND WHO IS NOT, WHEN WE ARE NEGOTIATING WITH THEM, WE LIST HOSTAGES ALIVE OR DEATH, THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE. THEY DON'T HAVE THE DECENCY OF ACTUALLY TELLING WHOM FROM THE HOSTAGES IS STILL ALIVE. >> THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO ASK NEXT, DOES THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAVE ANY SENSE AS TO HOW MANY HOSTAGES ARE ALIVE AND CAN YOU PROVIDE US AN UPDATE ON THE CEASE FIRE FOR HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS, WHERE DO THINGS STAND? >> THAT'S VERY TOUGH, WHEN WE FIND THE FIRST AGREEMENT WITH HAMAS, LAST YEAR THEY PROMISED TO ALLOW THE RED CROSS VISITATION TO THE HOSTAGES. IT NEVER HAPPENED, AND TODAY THEY HAVEN'T SENT ANY LISTS ABOUT THE HOSTAGES, WE DON'T KNOW. I'M VERY WORRIED. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT THEY ARE SAYING THEY ARE NOT CAPABLE OF RELEASING 33 HOSTAGES ALIVE. SO I'M VERY TROUBLED BY THAT MESSAGE COMING FROM HAMAS. WE DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE NO OTHER OPTION. WE ARE DETERMINED TO GO ALL THE WAY TO RELEASE THOSE WE CAN RELEASE AND TO ELIMINATE THIS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. IT'S A THREAT TO ISRAEL. IT'S A THREAT TO THE U.S. THE IRANIANS ARE DOUBLING THEIR SHIPMENTS TO THE PROXIES, WHILE THE U.S. IS STOPPING THE SHIPMENT. WE KNOW WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO WINNING THIS WAR. >> WE SHARE THE HOPE THOSE HOSTAGES ARE FREED SOON AND RETURNED TO THEIR FAMILIES.
