‘We Do Not Associate Ourselves With Those Comments’: Kirby Reacts to Ally’s Accusation That Israel Is ‘A War Criminal’

White House spokesman John Kirby distanced himself from comments from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan over the weekend when he denounced Israel as “a war criminal” amid its ongoing war on Hamas, which he called “freedom fighters.”

Israel has been conducting strikes inside Hamas-controlled Gaza since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in which the group killed 1,400 people and abducted more than 200. There is growing concern about the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.

“Israel has been openly committing war crimes for 22 days, but the Western leaders cannot even call on Israel for a ceasefire, let alone react to it,” Erdogan told a crowd waving Palestinian flags in Istanbul. “We will tell the whole world that Israel is a war criminal. We are making preparations for this. We will declare Israel a war criminal.”

Like the U.S., Turkey is a member of NATO.

During Monday’s White House press briefing, Philip Wegmann of RealClearPolitics asked Kirby about Erdogan’s remarks.

“Israel recalled its diplomas from Turkey after the Turkish prime minister [sic] said that Hamas is a liberation group, and called Israel ‘a war criminal.'” Wegmann noted. “What is the president’s response to that kind of rhetoric from an ally?”

Well, we’ll certainly let President Erdogan can speak to his comments,” Kirby replied. “We don’t have to agree with everything he says on every issue to still maintain the fact that he is an important NATO ally, and has had a very positive influence, particularly on the Black Sea grain and trying to help get that out there. But we do not associate ourselves with those comments.”

Watch above via Fox News.