10th, March, 2024
Breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Gaza war strategy, President Biden is standing with Israel in its fight against Hamas, which is still holding hostages. This is a risky move.
Why this matters Biden has known Netanyahu for forty years, and no single incident caused him to start going in a different direction with him. U.S. officials tell Axios that it’s a culmination of the prime minister’s actions and decisions over the past few weeks.
In between the lines: Biden had been hoping for weeks to use the battle to advance his mega-deal with Saudi Arabia following the fighting. However, Biden believes that Netanyahu bears the most of the blame for the deal’s collapse.
Behind the scenes: According to US officials, Biden and many other top officials at the State Department and the White House are very irritated by what they perceive to be Netanyahu’s lack of gratitude.
Over the last five months, Biden has provided the Israeli government with extraordinary backing, despite considerable opposition from the president’s party in an election year.
Creating the news: Biden sent a clear message about his changing views on Netanyahu in his “State of the Union” speech. Instead of addressing him by name, the president spoke of “the leadership of Israel.”
Throughout the address, Biden’s criticism of the Israeli government was largely contained. However, a hot-micted post-speech conversation between the president and a Democratic senator revealed that the president’s true thoughts are far harsher.
He told Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), “I told Bibi: ‘You and I are going to have a come-to-Jesus meeting,'” but then he became aware that he was being videotaped.
“Come-to-Jesus” is “an expression used in the southern part of my state, meaning a serious meeting…. I’ve known Bibi for 50 years, and he knew what I meant by it,” Biden said to MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart.
According to Biden, Netanyahu “must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost as a consequence of the actions taken” in Gaza, he told Capehart.
By turning the rest of the world hostile to Israel, he is doing more harm than good to the country. This goes against everything Israel stands for. And I believe it to be a grave error.”
However, Biden declared he would “never leave Israel.” Israel’s defense is still vital.”
Zoom out: In his relationship with Netanyahu, Biden has arrived at a stage that his three predecessors, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, have also achieved.
Clinton was able to sever ties with Netanyahu without impairing his record of support for Israel. Obama lost the support of the Israeli people when he separated from the prime minister. The outcome of Trump’s split from Netanyahu will only become apparent if he wins reelection.
But there are far greater stakes in Biden’s situation. The area is heating at the start of Ramadan, America’s strongest ally in the region is experiencing its worst crisis in over 50 years, and the presidential campaign is gathering pace.
What to observe: More than 1.5 million Palestinians are seeking refuge in Rafah following their forced relocation from other parts of Gaza, and Netanyahu’s planned military campaign there could be the turning point.
According to Israeli sources, this operation may happen in April if a hostage agreement is not achieved quickly. Biden stated on MSNBC that this kind of action “is a red line.”