White House: Can’t Confirm Blinken Told Israel It Lacks ‘Credit’ and Won’t Talk About Private Talks

On Friday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby responded to a question on reporting that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israel it doesn’t have the “credit” for a months-long war to eradicate Hamas by stating that he can’t confirm the reports and “wouldn’t talk about private diplomatic conversations anyway,” but Blinken and President Joe Biden have been clear that “we’re going to continue to support Israel as they fight to defend themselves against a quite clearly genocidal threat posed by Hamas.”

Host Martha MacCallum asked, “What does the Secretary of State mean by you don’t have the credit for a months-long war, John?”

Kirby responded, “I certainly can’t confirm the reports that he actually said that and I wouldn’t talk about private diplomatic conversations anyway, Martha. What I can tell you is, President Biden has been clear and Secretary Blinken, too, we’re going to continue to support Israel as they fight to defend themselves against a quite clearly genocidal threat posed by Hamas. And that security assistance to Israel, it’s still flowing, even though, right now, the pause has been lifted in the fighting and we’re not able to get humanitarian assistance in anywhere near the scope that we had hoped.”

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