At least nine American citizens just perished in Israel when Hamas carried out a massive campaign of terror across the country over the weekend, but the Biden White House shockingly responded on Monday by calling a “lid” on things before noon.
For reference, a “lid” as used here is a term used by White House press secretaries to indicate that there will be no more news or press coming out of the WhiteHouse for that day. So, it was shocking that one came on Monday, particularly given the dead Americans abroad and fluid situation in the region.
But call a lid is what the White House did, shocking or not. Such is what White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich announced on X early in the day, saying, “The White House has called a lid before noon. We do not expect to see or hear from President Biden for the rest of the day.”
The White House has called a lid before noon.
We do not expect to see or hear from President Biden for the rest of the day.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) October 9, 2023
That lid came despite a spokesperson for the U. S. Embassy in Israel telling Fox News that nine Americans had died in the attacks, saying, “At this time, we can confirm the deaths of nine U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected.”
Continuing, that spokesperson added, “We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with our Israeli partners and the local authorities. We are in touch with the families and providing all appropriate consular assistance.”
Similarly, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, during an interview on MSNBC, “We continue to work to confirm that number and to try to locate those who are missing. We don’t have solid information about either the number or where they might be.” Watch that here:
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Biden State Department spokesman Matt Miller says nine Americans have been killed and an unknown number "are unaccounted for" in Israel — but "cannot confirm" if Americans have been taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. pic.twitter.com/PQrK4k0hzb
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 9, 2023
Despite calling a lid on things early in the day, the Biden White House did join other Western nations in releasing a statement on the attacks. In that statement, the western leaders said, “Today, we — President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Sunak of the United Kingdom, and President Biden of the United States — express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
Continuing, it added, “We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned. There is never any justification for terrorism. In recent days, the world has watched in horror as Hamas terrorists massacred families in their homes, slaughtered over 200 young people enjoying a music festival, and kidnapped elderly women, children, and entire families, who are now being held as hostages.”
The statement then said, “Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities. We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. All of us recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike. But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed.”
Ending, it hinted at deeper involvement, saying, “Over the coming days, we will remain united and coordinated, together as allies, and as common friends of Israel, to ensure Israel is able to defend itself, and to ultimately set the conditions for a peaceful and integrated Middle East region.”