It's pretty ironic that it's EXACTLY this kind of backlash that he was trying to avoid. He's just missed the fact that neutrality when talking about genocide doesn't exist.

He also, actually, very much DID take a stance. He tried to "both sides" it, completely ignoring the fact that one side has near infinite resources, access to SIGNIFICANTLY more advanced weaponry, and have openly declared their intentions to completely annihilate the other (AKA: genocide) while the other is on it's knees, bleeding out, begging for the children to be spared.

It's like responding to a slap in the face, by setting someone's whole town on fire, and then justifying it with "well they started it"