The White House released a scathing response to criticisms regarding Vice President Joe Biden’s use of a controversial nickname. Biden has received backlash due to his use of an anti-Israel phrase dubbed the ‘Apache helicopter problem.’
The phrase, which aims to describe a lack of coordination among decision-makers, originated from a 2001 incident in which two U.S. Navy helicopters mistakenly fired on an Israeli Air Force base in the West Bank. The incident resulted in an Peaceful resolution where neither side claimed victory or defeat.
The Vice President has since used the phrase, both on-stage and in meetings, when discussing any situation involving multiple parties. During a speech in late July, Biden referred to the phrase saying, “We don’t want another Apache helicopter problem.”
This phrase has since been dubbed the ‘Apache helicopter problem’ and has been the source of much controversy, particularly among many anti-Israel critics. These critics maintain that the phrase is inappropriate, as it draws a comparison between a mistaken military mission and a perceived diplomatic conflict.
In response, the White House issued a forceful statement condemning the use of the phrase without context and noting that the similarity of the terms should not “be misconstrued as an endorsement of any particular view concerning the conflict between Israel and Palestine.”
The statement ended by noting “The Vice President has been and will remain a vocal advocate for a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East while seeking to reduce tensions and increase trust and understanding among all parties.”
It is apparent that the Biden Administration will not heed to any amount of criticism regarding the Vice President’s use of the phrase ‘Apache helicopter problem’ unless it is correctly contextualized. Through this statement, it is clear that the White House correctly discerned between constructive criticism and unfounded offense—ensuring that the Vice President does not have to shoulder the blame for a phrase arbitrarily taken out of context.
