In his new memoir, Biden says Netanyahu made repeated empty promises to reduce civilian harm in Gaza
Former president Joe Biden accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of repeatedly promising to do more to limit civilian suffering in Gaza and then acting otherwise, in excerpts from his memoir "Promise Me, America", published by CNN ahead of the book's release on 17 November. Biden writes that a pattern set in: Netanyahu would promise to do more, and then another aggressive action would follow that killed more civilians. The accusation is Biden's own account of his dealings with Netanyahu; no response from Netanyahu's office appears in the reporting read.
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Key points
- Biden's memoir accuses Netanyahu of repeatedly promising to do more to limit civilian suffering in Gaza, then acting otherwise.
- His words, as published: Netanyahu 'would promise to do more, and then another aggressive action would follow' that killed more civilians.
- The accusation is Biden's own account of private conversations — it is carried as his account, not as a finding.
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- No response from Netanyahu's office appears in the reporting read; the book is published on 17 November.
What happened
The Gaza passages sit in a chapter in which Biden answers his critics point by point — over the war, over his decision to seek re-election, and over the debate that ended his campaign. On Gaza, his argument is that he pressed Israel's prime minister privately and repeatedly on civilian casualties from the start of the war.
The excerpts were published by CNN, which obtained the chapter text, and the same passages were carried by the Times of Israel and Haaretz ahead of the book's 17 November publication.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The memoir's words are published and settled — Biden wrote that Netanyahu repeatedly promised more and acted otherwise.
- The book's publication date is 17 November.
What we don't know yet
- Netanyahu's response to the accusation — none appears in the reporting read.
- Netanyahu's own account of the private conversations Biden describes.
Claim by claim
Show all claims (4)
Why this label: The words are Biden's own, from the chapter text CNN obtained and published; that he wrote them is settled by the published text itself.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The pattern passage is in CNN's published chapter text, and the 'no qualms' line is carried in the same terms by the Times of Israel and Haaretz's reporting of the excerpts. What is verified is that Biden wrote this — whether his account of the private conversations is complete is a separate question, carried below.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: No Netanyahu response appears in CNN's report or in the Israeli reporting of the excerpts read for this story; the gap is carried openly rather than filled.
On the ladder: the evidence so far sits low — early, single or social sources. We publish the claim as a claim, never as fact.
Why this label: The book's length, publication date and the curtailed promotion are from CNN's report of the memoir and Biden's announcement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why it matters
A former US president's on-the-record account of an ally's wartime promises matters beyond the book trade: it goes to how much private pressure Washington actually applied over Gaza's civilian toll, and it will be read in Israel, where Netanyahu's handling of the alliance is a live political question, as much as in the United States.
Background
The Hamas attack on Israel begins the Gaza war; Biden's administration backs Israel while pressing it privately over civilian casualties, on his account.
CNN publishes the memoir chapter text carrying Biden's account of his dealings with Netanyahu.
"Promise Me, America" is due to be published.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published in Checking state — Biden's words are published and are carried as his account; Netanyahu's response has not appeared in the reporting read and is carried in the don't-know list.