"I personally think it's good for them."
Kate Bedingfield couldn't possibly have meant what that sounded like, even though she's a communications professional--Biden's former communications director.
Surely she's not so heartless as to describe the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza in an Israeli strike as being "good for" the Biden administration.
But however she meant her shocking line, one thing was clear: Bedingfield did see the tragedy as a good opportunity for the Biden administration [read, campaign] to distance itself from Bibi Netanyahu and his policies.
As Bedingfield put it in an appearance on Tuesday's CNN This Morning:
"Every instance of horror like this gives the Biden administration more opening to put clear contrast between what they're trying to do, what they would argue they're trying to do responsibly in the region, and what Netanyahu has been unwilling to do. I, I personally think it's good for them."
Even seen in the most forgiving light, that is some stone-cold realpolitik. Could the vulture not have waited a bit longer before swooping down to exploit the tragedy for its maximum political benefit for her former boss?
Far from pushing back on Bedingfield's callous take, Hunt accused Israel of "starv[ing]" Gaza's population.
Panelist Jonah Goldberg refuted Hunt's accusation, saying, "It's very difficult to feed a population that is being used as essentially human shields by a terrorist organization," and that "there's this expectation that Israel should be actually carrying more about Palestinians than the supposed leadership of Gaza. And that expectation puts Israel in an impossible situation."
Here's the transcript.
CNN This Morning
4/2/24
6:14 am EDTIDF SPOKESMAN DANIEL HAGARI: The work of WCK is critical. They are the front lines of humanity. We will get to the bottom of this, and we will share our findings transparently.
KASIE HUNT: Well, the IDF launching an investigation into the death of seven aid workers from José Andrés' World Central Kitchen. They were killed in an Israeli air strike, in an Israeli strike, excuse me, in central Gaza. The organization says that they had coordinated their movements with the IDF, and that they were in marked vehicles with their logo on them.
World Central Kitchen is one of the few aid organizations providing desperately needed food to those in Gaza. The organization now pausing operations there. The White House this morning calling this tragedy deeply troubling.
. . .Kate Bedingfield, I want to start with you, because look, this, the World Central Kitchen, José Andrés' operation, has become world renowned for showing up in the moments when humanity is having some of its toughest experiences, and helping people. They are known throughout the country in this way it, it's clear from that video that we showed at the top, the IDF just put that out as this is unfolding, that they understand just how horrible this is. And certainly just how horrible also that it looks.
KATE BEDINGFIELD: Oh yeah.
HUNT: What is the impact here for the Biden administration? Because the politics of this are already so tough for them.
BEDINGFIELD: Yeah, well look, obviously this is a horrific tragedy, a true humanitarian disaster, I mean, it's fair to say.
You know, for the Biden administration, obviously, this is an incredibly fraught issue. I think the more space they can continue to draw between themselves and Bibi Netanyahu, and Netanhyahu's government, the better for them politically.
From a policy perspective, I think they've been trying to drive toward a longstanding, sort of post-conflict plan. I think Bibi's own domestic politics have made it so that he is unwilling to engage in that in a serious way.
And so every instance of horror like this gives the Biden administration more opening to put clear contrast between what they're trying to do, what they would argue they're trying to do responsibly in the region, and what Netanyahu has been unwilling to do. I, I personally think it's good for them.
So, I think they need to be clear that this was unacceptable. It was horrific. They need to move to support Israel's investigation into what happened happened, and to take a very tough line on this. And I think this is a moment for them to do that.
