US President Joe Biden stressed the US will continue to provide Israel with military assistance until it "gets rid of" militant, Islamist group Hamas.
"Folks, were there no Israel, there wouldn't be a Jew in the world that was safe," he said during a White House Hannukah reception attended by some 800 guests on Monday night.
However, the US president also cautioned against a shifting public opinion.
"We continue to provide military assistance until they get rid of Hamas but we have to be careful," Biden said. "They have to be careful. The whole world's public opinion can shift overnight. We can't let that happen."
Nevertheless, Biden acknowledged having differences with Israeli leaders, including current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He recalled a time he wrote a note on a photo of the two men.
"I wrote on the top of it, 'Bibi I love you but I don't agree with a damn thing you had to say,'" Biden said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
"It's about the same today," Biden said, adding that Israel is in a "tough spot" and that "I've had my differences with some Israeli leadership." Biden did not elaborate on the differences.
