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.
It’s funny. We’re running out of patience with Biden.
Americans shouldn't run out of patience with Biden. When the election comes, they might reelect Trump and that would be a catastrophe.
Maybe that's what Netanyahu wants?
Considering that Trump overturned decades of consensus on both the US right and left in order to appease Israel by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital, I'm sure that Bibi would love a second Trump term. Especially since he's openly expressed his disdain for Democrats and solidarity with Republicans.
Exactly.
People shouldn't have voted for Biden in the 2020 primaries. That was a stupid shitty thing to do.
That's the only right answer. Pete Buttigieg would have been a far better candidate in my opinion.
And your point is? We can't change the past, all we can do is try to make a better future. It sounds like you just want to give up because you didn't get your way in 2020. That's pretty childish.
Centerists like you will never say it's the right time to have this conversation. You keep electing procorporate trash and then acting like everybody you fuck over in the process owes your garbage candidate their vote. It's not fooling anybody. You know exactly what you did in the primaries. You made this bed now lie in it. If you need our votes in the future make better choices in the primaries. Simple as that.