Fox News host splits from colleagues with powerful praise of Biden’s Israel speech

Fox News political analyst Brit Hume has lavished praise on Joe Biden for his speech on Thursday evening where he pledged his support for Israel amid growing tensions between the country and militant group Hamas.

“I think it may be remembered as one of the best, if not the best speeches (sic) of his presidency,” Mr Hume said during Fox’s special coverage of the president’s address. “He was firm, he was unequivocal, he was strong, as he has been — particularly in recent days before he went to Israel, and while he was over there.”

During his prime-time address, Mr Biden asserted the United States’s vital role in global security and pledged his support for both Israel and Ukraine.

He also called for a $100bn package to help both Israel and Ukraine defend themselves and to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza

In addition, Mr Hume said he was “struck” by the fact Mr Biden spent as much time talking about the war in Ukraine as the conflict between Israel and Gaza.

He described including Ukraine in the speech as a “good” move “because the aid for Ukraine package that he is taking about and further aid to Ukraine beyond that is in jeopardy,” he said.

Facing TV cameras, the president added that “American leadership is what holds the world together. American alliances are what keep us, America, safe. American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. To put all that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine, if we turn our backs on Israel, it’s just not worth it.

“That’s why tomorrow I’m going to send to Congress an urgent budget request to fund America’s national security needs, to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine.

“It’s a smart investment that’s going pay dividends for American security for generations,” he continued, “help us keep American troops out of harm’s way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren.”

Mr Biden’s speech also warned that Iran is supporting Russia in Ukraine and is also aiding Hamas and other terrorist groups in the region.

“We will continue to hold them accountable,” he said.

Fox News hosts are frequently critical of the president. On Thursday, Sean Hannity expressed disappointment with Mr Biden’s speech, calling it “disjointed” and “clichéd”.

Meanwhile, Mr Hume has been critical of the president in the past. In July, he called Mr Biden “obviously senile” and also dismissed his first State of the Union address, in 2022, as “uninspiring” and “weak”.

The president’s prime-time talk came after he returned from a brief trip to Israel in the wake of Hamas’ 7 October attack, in which militants killed more than 1,400 people and snatched over 200 hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately declared a state of war and promised “mighty vengeance” before launching retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, in which more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed.

Mr Biden’s visit came just a day after hundreds of Palestinians were killed in an explosion at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Local officials said the tragedy was the result of an Israeli airstrike while the Israeli military, citing intelligence, blamed a faulty launch of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket intended to hit Israel. The PIJ denies responsibility.

During his visit to Tel Aviv, Mr Biden publicly sided with the Israelis, saying that the “other team” were behind the explosion.