CBS News reporter confronts Kirby with the perfect question after US allows UN resolution calling for Gaza ceasefire to pass

CBS News correspondent Ed O'Keefe ruffled John Kirby's feathers on Monday.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S. abstained from voting on the resolution, thereby allowing it to be adopted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was understandably upset and canceled an Israeli delegation's scheduled trip to Washington, D.C.

At the White House press briefing, Kirby justified allowing the resolution to pass by claiming it links a ceasefire to the release of hostages.

But O'Keefe wasn't buying the justification and confronted Kirby over whether the U.S. is taking this new position because President Joe Biden is facing chaotic political headwinds for backing Israel.

"There are U.S. officials today saying Netanyahu is acting this way because he's facing some domestic political pressure. Aren’t there also domestic political pressures facing President Biden, and that’s part of the reason why you all are allowing this to happen today? O'Keefe began. "You’ve got members of the Democratic Party saying he’s doing this wrong. You’ve got the general public suggesting his support for Israel is misplaced.

"Is that part of why this is going through today?" O'Keefe asked.

The question clearly got under Kirby's skin.

"No, absolutely not," Kirby claimed, "and I've got to take issue with the premise of the question.

"The president makes decisions based on the national security interests of the United States, and this decision to abstain on this resolution is in keeping with the national security interests of the United States," he alleged. "And, quite frankly, it's in keeping with the national security concerns of the Israeli people."

Kirby, however, did not explain how the resolution benefits Israel.

This is the second time in two weeks that the Biden administration has been forced to address concerns that Biden is waffling on Israel because Democrats are upset that he supports Israel.

Last week, NBC News reported that Biden was outraged when he was told in January that his poll numbers are dipping because of his pro-Israel policies. The White House refused to provide substantive answers to questions about the report, instead calling such inquiries, "the 'When did you stop beating your spouse' question."

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