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President Biden and other senior U.S. officials are becoming increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rejection of most of the administration’s recent requests related to the war in Gaza, four U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios.
Why it matters: Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack 100 days ago, Biden has given Israel his full backing, with unprecedented military and diplomatic support, even while taking a political hit from part of his base in an election year. That support has largely continued publicly, but behind the scenes, there are growing signs that Biden is losing his patience, the U.S. officials said.
- “The situation sucks and we are stuck. The president’s patience is running out,” one U.S. official told Axios.
- “At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been in close contact with U.S. officials about the war, told Axios. “They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again.”
Behind the scenes: Biden hasn’t spoken to Netanyahu in the 20 days since a tense Dec. 23 call, which a frustrated Biden ended with the words: “This conversation is over.” They had spoken almost every other day in the first two months of the war.
- Before Biden hung up, Netanyahu had rejected his request that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues it’s withholding.
- National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby tried to downplay the decrease in communication, telling reporters on Wednesday that “it doesn’t say anything” about the state of the relationship.
- But more and more signs of irritation are emerging. “There is immense frustration,” a U.S. official said.
Would it? I doubt it’s general policy to help our allies if they suddenly go insane.
It’s insane to bomb the tunnels from which Hamas launched a terrorist attack of mass shootings and kidnapping of innocent civilians and first responders, and which they retreated back into?
I don’t think so. I think the tunnels are a proportionate and just target.
At this point, this war is way way over proportion to the original attack, yes.
I just don’t see military force as an effective counterterrorism strategy. Look what the US did in Afghanistan. Our best successes there were when we built infrastructure for the people. Our greatest blunder were the bombs we dropped.
If you have 10 terrorists and you kill 5, how many terrorists do you have?
Israel is blind with rage, just like we were after 9/11. Yes there needs to be justice, but whatever this is, it’s not justice. It’s ineffective.