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.
Biden is following the same US-ally mutual defense policy that has been in place since Israel was founded, not voting for him this year because you don't like this policy specifically while ignoring all of the achievements of the past four years is incredibly foolish and short-sighted.
The idea that you should vote for Trump because biden himself hasn't vocally denounced netanyahu and the IDF after barely three months into the US support of one of its oldest active military allies following a terrorist attack is absolutely idiotic.
Maybe he should change that policy.
This is the same excuse I hear from my idiot bosses on why we can't do things more efficiently: iTs PoLiCy!
Policies can be changed.
Biden should definitely change it, and the White House just released that statement, and nobody is making an argument otherwise.
The point of these comments is that a singular policy that is in line with the last 20 administrations should not reflect as a personal candidate decision that causes anyone to vote for Trump or give Trump any chance to win.
I've been critical of the US israeli alliance for decades, and the Israeli occupation of Palestine in general as well as the extra judicial executions, but that has nothing to do with voting for this candidate this year.
Fuck that.
If you want people to vote for you, be good enough to vote for regardless who your opponent is.
If you believe that democracy is a valid method for choosing your leaders, then you don't get to blame voters for 'getting it wrong'; by definition they are always right.
If your guy doesn't win, it means he fucked up. There's nobody else to blame.
If it's the end of the fucking world if your opponent gets in, then maybe just fucking maybe now is not the time to play chicken by trying to get away with being 99.99999% as much of a piece of shit as your opponent, and hoping to get by on the skinniest margin you can. If it's that big a deal, maybe try to make that margin as wide as fucking possible.
To be 100% clear here, you aren't wrong. I'm removing this due to the personal attacks on the other user. I can tell by the way you write that you can make the point otherwise.
"Your tantrum is as naive as it is immature."
Rule 3.
"you ignorant idiot"
Also rule 3.
Fair, I just had to go back and self-censor another comment. Have a good one
what?!! i thought it has been exactly the same for 70 years!
but here you are, claiming something new has happened in the last three months?????
whaaaaaaaaat?!!!??!?!?!
(sound of head exploding)
Not surprising if you make things up, you're going to confuse yourself chasing your own tail.
keep talking out of your ass, bruh
See that's what's getting you confused.
You keep putting your bottoms up and tops down.
Go look in the mirror. When you speak, even though what you see looks similar to your bottom, that's actually your mouth.
Biden is going well above and beyond in assisting Israeli genocide of Palestinians. This isn't just business as usual, this is even worse than usual.
"The idea that you should vote for Trump because biden himself hasn't vocally denounced netanyahu and the IDF after barely three months into the US support of one of its oldest active military allies following a terrorist attack is absolutely idiotic." yep, I don't like genocide and abuse of power, clearly that means I'm saying to vote for trump. Fuck off libtard
Too bad you missed the dumb bandwagon by 10 ft:
https://www.euronews.com/2024/01/15/white-house-calls-on-israel-to-scale-back-gaza-offensive
Directly refuting your incorrect point, the white house has directly called for Israel to begin scaling back its invasion of Palestine.
So. You know. Pipe. Smoke it.
Removed under rule 3:
"you sound like a tween-teenager in a leather jacket in an 80s movie I love it"
Super creative insults are still insults. :)
Removed their comment as a rule 3 violation, but yours has to go for the same reason. :(
"We get it. You’re a child."
Haha, one hundred percent. I wasn't as compassionate in those answers as I could have been, but trust me, I'm trying.
All we ask! :)
The US supporting the Israeli invasion and genocide of Palestine is exactly business as usual, it's literally been happening for 70 years, you've only just become aware of it and have painted your first digital placards. Be careful, or we all may drown in your empathy.
Drawing the conclusion that you shouldn't vote for Biden because he hasn't yet publicly, personally denounced a defense policy that has been occurring for the last two dozen presidential administrations, yes, is idiotic and woefully myopic.
The fact that I'm mad about it right now must mean I only just learned, very nice deduction. Be careful, or we all may drown in your half assed attempts at wit. I'm fully aware of how the US has been sending shit tons of money and weapons to Israel since the very start. Biden is going even harder on it than average. He's bypassed congress to send more military aid multiple times since October 7th, and taken multiple opportunities to spread IDF disinformation like Hamas beheading babies. Genocide joe is exceptionally shitty in this regard, and the longer he keeps supporting the genocide while barely paying lip service to the idea of peace (or even just not committing as much genocide for a bit) the less likely he is to get my vote. Yes, this means a republican is more likely to win. The solution is for democrats to stop offering up geriatric genocidal neolibs for president
Making it clear that you understand the budget as little as you understand the history of military conflicts is not helping your cause.
Try to open your eyes and look at the other achievements this administration has accomplished instead acting surprised and throwing a tantrum about a conflict that has been going on for two lifetimes.