Signs of tension between the United States and Israel are continuing to grow, with reports suggesting that US President Joe Biden is “running out” of patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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The friction is reportedly serious. One US news outlet quoted several US officials with direct knowledge of the issue saying that the two leaders have not spoken to each other since December 20, when Biden abruptly ended their phone call with the words, “This conversation is over.”
Biden and other senior US officials are reportedly becoming increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu and his far-right government coalition for not responding positively to the Biden Administration’s recent requests over the war in the Gaza Strip. This became obvious after Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s most recent visit to the region.
US: Netanyahu ‘unappreciative’ of Biden’s support
A US State Department official told The Media Line that the US is trying to portray a positive image and keep clear public support for Israel, but the White House is furious with Netanyahu, calling him “unappreciative” of Biden’s efforts and unconditional support.
The official said that Blinken had hit a wall and was scrambling to find a way to deal with Netanyahu and his government.
“Biden gave Netanyahu a lot of credit. Of course, he gave Israel a lot of credit. And Israel really appreciates him. Some people felt that Biden, and not Netanyahu, saved Israel, and I’m not sure that they are wrong,” Gideon Rahat, a political scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute, told The Media Line.
Bidens requests to Israel
The Biden Administration recently requested that Israel commit to a timetable and transition from its “high-intensity” military operation in Gaza to a “low-intensity” one.
Biden also requested that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues it is withholding. Netanyahu had rejected this, caving into the demands of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is against the move.
“I think Biden has the right to ask Netanyahu to listen to him and respect him because he did quite a lot for us. At the end of the day, we make our own decisions. But we should listen to him and respect him,” Rahat said.
“The Biden Administration could take several steps to pressure Israel to be more flexible, including economic pressure, as when you have war, the economy is bad,” he said.
In addition to the tax revenue issue, the White House believes that Israel is not doing enough to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
It is also disappointed by Netanyahu’s unwillingness to seriously discuss post-war plans. Biden supports the idea of a revitalized Palestinian Authority playing a role in Gaza, while Netanyahu opposes this.
However, the reports of friction between the US and Israel are not as significant as some are making them out to be, international relations expert Dr. Yonatan Freeman of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem told The Media Line.
“I don’t think this is serious. Many US requests have been granted, in particular entry of humanitarian aid, fuel, etc., into the Gaza Strip, as well as a modification of some of the tactics used in certain areas of Gaza,” Freeman said.
Escalation in Israel’s north is more important
He said that a more important issue is the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, and the US concern that the fighting has spread outside the border area.
“The more tricky element involves Israeli responses to Hezbollah activity in northern Israel and the [US] wish that Israel not expand its response. It remains to be seen how long Israel will be able to restrain itself in the face of Hezbollah expanding its attacks,” Freeman said.
Ziad AbuZayyad, the co-founder and co-editor of the Palestine Israel Journal, told The Media Line that Netanyahu is only out for himself.
“This is Netanyahu. His first priority is himself. Nothing else is important for him, and the division within the [war] cabinet is because each one in it has his own considerations and his own agenda,” AbuZayyad said.
He added that Netanyahu’s behavior toward Biden should not surprise anyone.
“I think that Netanyahu used to challenge the American president traditionally. He did it when [Barack] Obama was the president, and he [Netanyahu] went and gave a speech [about Iran] at the joint session in Congress, in spite of Obama’s opposition,” he said.
“President Biden can be angry, and he can say whatever he wants, but he has no leverage over Netanyahu, especially now that we are going into an election season.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that he backs a role for the PA in the future of Gaza, and also supports transferring withheld tax funds to the PA, as well as allowing Palestinian workers from the West Bank to re-enter Israel, saying a strong Palestinian government would support Israel’s war goals.
These issues have been especially contentious for the hard-right flank of Netanyahu’s coalition.
Ultimately, Netanyahu’s strategies may come down to political calculation. Judging by the fall in his approval ratings in polls since the war began on Oct. 7, Netanyahu has no option but to plow on in the hope of regaining the mantle of “Mr. Security” and saving his job by eliminating Hamas.
However, Biden, a friend of Israel but not of Netanyahu, has his own calculations to make. This is an election year in the US, and Biden is facing an internal backlash as a result of his support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Many in the Arab world view Biden’s approach to what has become the most divisive foreign policy crisis of his presidency as controversial and uneven. There are accusations that the president is jeopardizing US ties in the region.
“Let’s give Biden a lot of credit for his patience. Whether Israel can live without the United States, not at all. It’s an illusion,” Rahat said.
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